The Impossible Journey
by RavingNarniacAnarane
Summary: Note: Damian blames Drake. When Dick takes the opportunity to forge some brotherly bonding time, he didn't expect it to turn so deadly. Following the mysterious disappearance of Tim's uncle, the four bat boys (yes,Jason reluctantly included) find themselves taking a long plunge down towards the Earth's core, and are left attempting to find a way back. And as Jason's prefers: Alive.
1. A Journey to the Center of the Earth

_I should not be starting a new story right now, and yet here I am. I wrote like thirty pages the other day, and I can't contain it any more! Nonetheless just a few tiny notes:_

 _One, This is based on PRE-52 Universe, because I am not such a big fan on New-52._

 _Two, this is a humorous story based on the 2008 movie called, you guessed it 'A Journey to the Center of the Earth' so a lot of material is pulled from there. You do not need to see it to enjoy I promise!_

 _Third, The main characters are Dick, Jason, Tim and Damian. Bruce and Alfred have a small role. Unfortunately, no Stephanie or Cass or Barb. I want some brother bonding time okay? Jason will be introduced a little later, because honestly, why would he be at the manor right now?_

 _Of course, I don't own Batman. Nope. I don't. What do you expect?_

 _Last but not least: I have a soundtrack for this story from the movie, so I highly suggest you listen to it to set the mood ;)_

 **This Chapter Track: Journey Theme**

 **www. youtube dot-com watch?v=AeKY5xmwcf0 (Just remove spaces and change my words)**

 **and**

 **Morning Routine:**

 **www. youtube dot-com / watch?v=0tFil0boeOM &list=PL7956D0F09A1AB992&index=2**

* * *

Chapter One: A Journey to the Center of the Earth

In the end, Damian would blame Timothy Drake every time the incident was brought up. Though incident was probably not the best word to use for what had happened to him and his three supposed brothers.

However, out of the ordeal, he could officially say he had a least favorite author and that would be the man who called himself one of the greatest sci-fi writers of all time.

Damian decided when telling the story, he would start on an early late June morning, just after school had let out and summer had officially begun. It was that particular fine morning, which his least favorite member of the Bat Family had come for a personal visit with Bruce over some Wayne Industries work that seemed fairly minimal to him.

Drake, the dolt, had spent the night; and much to his dismay he found himself looking at the teenager the next morning at the breakfast table. The taste of Alfred's pancakes had gone sour with his presence alone, let alone that cursed fairy tale book he was reading.

"Tt, ' _A Journey to the Center of the Earth'_?" Damian scathed, glancing at the cover with the most unimpressed look he could muster. "Of course you, Drake, would occupy that dull brain of yours with ridiculous fantasy dreams."

Tim peeked over the pages of the old yellowing book at him, a perched eyebrow in place to meet his remark.

"It's a classic Damian. It was the start of a whole new genre, modern science fiction."

"That book is a bundle of rubbish that amuses children of the idea that you could travel to an unattainable world. I spent my time as a child reading far better materials such as _War and Peace_."

Tim, by now far too used to Damian's unusual childhood, showed little reaction to the choice novel and choose only to give a shrug of shoulders.

"It's not everyone's cup of tea."

Damian shoved a piece of pancake in his mouth rather unhappily that he hadn't gotten much of a rise out of his companion, if you could call him that.

At this moment, Alfred chose to make his appearance, cleaning away some of the dishes. The butler seemed to have heard their previous conversation, for he commented lightly upon the novel's presence at the table.

"If I recall, Master Timothy; that was once your father's copy was it not?"

The teen glanced up once more again to acknowledge the older man's presence with a small smile. Finally placing the aging book on the table so Alfred could clear the dishes, he leaned back in his chair thoughtfully before he answered.

"Yeah, it was his favorite book. It's what inspired him and my mother to travel as much as they did when I was a child. Never read it before though," Tim shrugged again. This time he went for his coffee.

Damian snorted.

"Looks like your delusions just run in the family then."

Tim shot him a sharp look in return.

"I remember your father certainly liked to talk about it with his colleagues at social gatherings many years ago. I believed he was quite the Jules Vern fan." Alfred interrupted before a fight could truly break out between them.

"I never quite saw why he thought they were so interesting."Tim honestly responded, looking down at the battered cover. "But just flipping through it now, I finally see just how much he enjoyed it."

He ran his finger along the pages, allowing them to fan out. As he did so, Damian spotted penciled notes on various pages, ranging from a magnitude of codes and actual writing.

"Tt, you're father is crazier than I thought."

"That coming from you, Little D; is something," A new voice entered the discussion.

Tim, Damian and Alfred turned to see Dick standing in the doorway. He had his bright smiling grin and a loose bag hanging off his shoulder.

"Grayson!" Damian frowned, "What are you doing out of Bludhaven?"

"Do I need a reason to come see my favorite little brothers?" The older ebony haired boy playfully commented before plopping in a seat across from Tim and next to the youngest boy.

"Hey Alfie," He added at the sight of the Butler smiling.

"Good Morning Master Dick, would you like some breakfast? I'm sure I could whip something up in no time."

Dick shook his head gratefully.

"Actually, a cup of coffee like Tim's got looks just as good." The older looked towards the worn book that was still lying on the table beside his second youngest brother.

"Is this what you two we're discussing?" He asked, picked up the book by its spine and beginning to flip through. "I didn't know you finally started going through your dad's possessions Tim, I told you I would be there for moral support if you wanted."

Tim shook his hand flippantly from behind his mug.

"I can go through his things on my own, but thanks anyway Dick. And yeah, Damian was stating his ever present dislike for anything that could possibly do with me."

"Tt."

"What? You don't like Jules Vern, Dami? I thought you would be all into classics."

Damian's natural response was an unhappy glare towards both of them.

"I actually had to read this my senior year of High School; some parts weren't that bad once you got past the whole eighteen hundreds style of writing." Dick admitted before pausing to look at one of the pages.

"I'm not very far into it," Tim commented. "I only started it this morning when I found it in his box in my closet. I was trying to find some old case files and it fell out."

Damian was about to say a snide response about how incompetent Drake was about finding things when Dick suddenly twisted the book around and thrust it towards Tim.

"What's all this writing about?"

"No idea," Tim shrugged. "It's my dad's work. He must have written it a long time ago, because I don't remember seeing this copy on his bookshelves as a kid. The only one I ever saw was his first edition copy on the top shelf, and that thing was pristine."

Intrigued, Dick looked at the writings again.

"It's probably nonsense," Damian frowned. All this fuss over reading material that Drake had picked was putting him off. "He never sounded like a very sensible man."

Dick snorted, turning the page.

"He wasn't. Look at the life he led."

Tim scowled.

"I'm sitting right here, that's my dad you're talking about."

The younger Wayne raised an unimpressed eyebrow, as if to say 'so?'.

"Say, Tim? Does this look familiar to you?" Dick turned the book back around and showed him one of the emptier pages in the book toward the back. There in the center was a chart of numbers and symbols that Damian couldn't decipher. _Gibberish_.

"Magnet temperatures reach…nine fifteen…Mongolia? Bolivia? Hawaii? No, I have no idea what that is. Looks like something to do with…seismic activity." Tim's eyebrows furrowed as he snatched the book back from his hands. "What is that doing in his book?"

At this moment, Bruce decided to make his appearance in the kitchen. He was dressed sharply in his new suit, a briefcase at his side and a mug already warm in his hand.

"I will be leaving to Wayne Industries Russian head quarters after work to conduct important transactions there. I should be home in a week, but no more than ten days. I trust you three can handle yourselves in the mean time?" He inquired.

"So that's why you're here." Damian looked accusingly at Dick. "To _babysit_ me like a child."

"I'm here to keep you company Damian, and to ensure you don't kill Timmy. And maybe, we'll even do something brotherly, like hitting the batting cage." Dick mimed hitting a baseball with a bat, nearly hitting Damian in the process.

Tim shared a look at the older male.

"What if I kill him first?"

Damian tt'd.

"You would actually have to perform at a better talent than what you already exhibit to kill me Drake, and till then Grayson doesn't need to worry."

"Behave." Bruce growled at them all, and with that he headed out with a warm nod nonetheless.

"Anyways," Dick broke the silence first before Damian could go on about that fact that Bruce was leaving. "Those notes looked familiar, Tim. I think I might have seen them…"

"Since when would you have been looking into seismic activity, Grayson?"

"I haven't been, but there was this project Lucius Fox and I were working on in the Plate Tectonics Department. I was cross referencing some reports from Wayne tech and, well, your family's old company Tim. I think I remember some reports that had the same information in it."

Damian rolled his eyes.

"So, Drake's father wrote his company notes in his book. Why is that so interesting?"

"Because the project is still going." Dick responded. "Wayne Enterprises has been funding it for several years now. The interesting bit? The stats in that book are far more intensive than what the company is running now."

Damian did not think that was remotely interesting.

"Here," Dick said standing. "Let's drive over to my office and take a look. Maybe there's some mystery to be solved here." His grin spread wide.

Tim shook his head.

"I can't Dick, I'm busy today. I-"

"No excuses Timmy, it'll be a bonding activity. We hardly ever do anything together anymore," Dick was snatching away Tim's coffee and starting towards the kitchen where Alfred worked on the dishes in amusement at the boy's tactics.

"Tt." Damian snorted, before starting for the door.

"Whoa, whoa. Where do you think you're going Little D? You're included in this too."

The youngest Wayne looked downright at a loss for words. His mouth opening and shutting like a fish out of water as he stared at the old circus performer.

"I am not! I refuse to be dragged into your shenanigans. You and Drake go fool around with your stupid book, and I will make far better use of my time."

* * *

 _And so it begins. I'll update soon, since I already have like seven chapters done :) Thank Red Robin for it, because he was my inspiration haha._

 _Jason says review. REVIEW because he refuses to participate unless its popular._

 _Don't you love him?_


	2. Nice Land, Iceland

_I'm adding chapter two to add some meat, because I hate leaving just expositions sitting about._

 ** _This Chapter Playlist: Iceland_**

 ** _www. youtube dot-com / watch?v=j06d7vNCU3E &index=5&list=PL7956D0F09A1AB992_**

* * *

Chapter Two: Nice Land, Iceland

It was a half an hour later before Dick finally pulled out of the Manor's driveway. Assuring Alfred that they would be back for lunch, he managed to corral his younger siblings into the car. A sulking Damian simmered in the front seat, adamant that if he was going to pulled along for the ride that he at least got the front seat of the car. This, of course, left poor Tim to scowl in the back seat at the prospect of the time he was losing on solving some of those cases Bruce had left behind for him.

Dick was the only one in a good mood, seeing the book as an excellent way to carry out the plan he had for the time that Bruce spent away. Brother bonding time was such a rarity now days, perhaps he could get them to find some common ground along the way.

Now his only concern was to get the one last brother involved, and that in its self would no doubt be a trying task.

Pulling the sleek black sports car in front of Wayne Industries, he dragged his unwilling brothers along to his office that he had obtained only a few months ago when he finally took the job from Bruce.

"Tt, only you, Grayson, would manage to mess your office up this bad in the course of a few days." Damian commented as he stepped within the room. Even Tim was giving an unimpressed look at the scattered papers that were strewn across the place.

Dick began to warm up his laptop.

"I know a digital copy of those papers were saved somewhere on my computer-"He trailed, shifting through files. Tim rolled his eyes.

"What was it saved under?" He asked, pushing the older to the side as he began to take over.

"Plate tectonics research," He playfully poked Tim in the side teasing. " _The science of now_."

It was mere minutes before Tim had all the documents and research open, and even had managed to pull up a live feed of the current statistics out on the field. Dick pulled out the book and began to flip to the page that he had pointed out earlier, holding it up next to the live feed of data scrolling on the screen.

"I was right. The data is of those sensors that were placed out on the field to measure plate tectonic movements. Check it out, if that 754 next to Bolivia was a 752-"

The screen updated.

"The conditions are exactly the same as when my dad wrote these notes in his book." Tim finished looking astonished as the computer was now exactly the same as in the book. "Hold on…"

Tim began to type rapidly into the data searching for something; the screen ran to quick for Dick to process before they were met with the same screen they had just been looking at.

Damian began to make his way over, looking over his shoulder as he did so.

"Look at the date in this book and the conditions then, July of 1997. Do you know how important July of 97 is in my family?" Tim asked, looking white as a ghost.

Dick looked at a loss, Damian simply grabbed the book ad began to flip through it nonchalantly.

"This is important because?" He commented bored.

"It's when my Uncle went missing on a scientific voyage while he was studying _plate tectonics_." Tim explained, ignoring the sour tone of the younger Wayne. "This is the closest thing I have ever been to an actual clue that could tell me what happened."

"I don't understand Drake, how could data from sensors telling of plate activity tell you anything on how your idiot Uncle managed to disappear?" Damian asked scathingly.

Tim began to pace.

"The conditions are exactly the same, he must have gone out to investigate something with one of the sensors…Dick, is there something that stands out to you in this data?"

Dick looked lost at the sensor's numbers unsure.

"There's only three sensors still online, even if there was, there's no data left to show where he might have gone."

"You mean four." Damian corrected from his place on the chair where he still flipped through the old book.

"What? No. There's only three, Mongolia, Bolivia and Hawaii. This is all normal activity-"

Damian snapped the book shut and grabbed the computer monitor, pulling up the map and turning it to show the other two as he pointed to each little dot on the world.

"One, two, three, _four._ " He counted, placing his finger over the final dot at the top of the map.

Dick turned from Tim to look, pulling the laptop to him in astonishment.

"Iceland? That wasn't there before…that sensor must have just come online. What could have caused-"

"Dick, look at where it _is_." Tim interrupted, coming over. "Do you recognize the name of the mountain?"

The oldest turned slowly with amazement to the younger detective, before leaning over and snatching the novel out of the youngest hands and flipping through feverishly.

"I don't believe it. That's the setting of this book! Mount Sneffels is where they found the entrance!"

Damian, still a little put off from Dick grabbing the book from his hands in the manner he did, did not look amused by what they jabbered about.

"Entrance to what? What ridiculous notion are you talking about?"

Dick grinned, holding up the book to show Damian the cover, worn and old print it showed an old fashioned artwork of scenery that was incredibly odd. A green sky and a red mountain side with two men scrambling up the side. In white the title shown in the top left corner.

"What we're talking about Dami, is this. A Journey to the Center of the Earth."

Damian turned red in the face at the answer.

"That's-that's ridiculous!"

Both Dick and Tim ignored his spluttering as they turned to each other in bewilderment at the coincidence they had stumbled upon.

"What I don't understand is why my dad's copy has all this information in it when it was my Uncle that actually studied plate tectonics and the relation to the possibility of volcanic tubes that lead towards the center of the Earth."

Dick looked a little puzzled, but by this point the younger had finally recovered.

"Because it's not your father's copy. If you had bothered to read the front of the book, Drake, you would have noticed the initials in it."

Tim grabbed the book and flipped open the cover.

 _C. L. Drake_.

"It's my uncle's." Tim announced taken aback.

"He must have gone to see why Iceland picks up activity under these conditions when he left, and when he went missing his possessions must have been given to your dad!" Dick realized.

"You're right." Tim agreed, flipping through the pages again in a new light. "I have to go."

"Of course you would be taunted by the same fantasy your Uncle fell trap too, Drake. There is no plausible way any individual could travel to the Earth's mantle without melting alive." Damian sneered.

Tim snarled as he turned to the brat.

"I'm not looking for the center of the Earth, you little _demon_ , I'm going after my family member who was searching for volcanic tubes leading to the mantle of the planet. A _scientific_ possibility."

"Whoa, back up the two of you. There's no need to get at it now. Besides, we got to get back to the manor for lunch, and then Tim and I got to pack." Dick intervened.

"Pack?" Damian and Tim echoed.

"Well yes, we do after all have a last flight to Reykjavík to catch." Dick grinned.

* * *

 _Jason is coming I promise._

 _Reviews :)_


	3. It's a Family Bonding Activity

**_No Track for this chapter._**

* * *

Chapter Three: It's a Family Bonding Activity

Lunch had been a disaster, not from Alfred's doing of course, but the absolute riot Damian threw about the two of them flying to Iceland over some ridiculous notes in a book. Tim did his best to stay out of the argument, finishing early and heading upstairs to his temporary room the minute he could.

Which left Dick and Damian.

"If you insist on going on this 'expedition' of yours, Grayson. I will be coming along to ensure that you two don't end up getting yourselves killed." Damian finally relented.

Dick raised an eyebrow.

"You want to come?"

Damian gave his darkest look he could muster at him for even suggestion such a thing.

"I did not state that I wanted to come, I stated I'm coming to make sure that you don't get yourself killed. I would prefer to avoid the wrath of Father should you two not return."

Dick grinned.

"Alright baby bird, I guess if that's your plan I'll let you come. Why don't you go get packed, I have to go make a few calls."

Damian didn't like the mischievous grin that Grayson had sported as he left.

0o0

Jason Todd had had a rough night. So the prospect of sleeping in till two in the afternoon sounded like an excellent notion to him. He had shut his heavy curtains so that no sunlight could bother him, and turned his phone on silent.

At least he thought he had turned his phone on silent.

The insistent ringing was growing more and more annoying the longer he let it go. Jason tried covering his head with his pillow, but it seemed whoever was trying to get through to him wasn't going to give up. He only knew one person who was determined enough to keep calling.

Leaning over, he finally grabbed the cursed device and hit the answer button as hard as he could.

"Do you even listen to the voicemail I kindly left to people to whom I don't answer the phone for?" Jason growled; sleep still hinting within his inflection.

"Well, it's not very friendly Jay."

"Gee, I wonder why _Dick_." Jason flipped on the bed, letting the pillow fall as he finally sat up. He took a glance at the clock and scowled even more.

1:35

"Jay," Dick drawled out his name. "It's important."

"I don't care; I only had three hours of sleep. I was aiming for four." Jason growled out. "Whatever it is it can fucking wait."

He was so close to hanging up when Dick started to scramble over his words to make sure he was heard.

"Wait, wait Jason! Please hear me out; just drop by the Manor please? Bring a few days worth of supplies, and I promise it'll be worth it."

Jason paused in absolute confusion. Bring a few days worth of supplies?

"I'm not spending nights at the Manor just because you want me there to play House. I know Bruce is heading out of town, you can't pull that over my head."

"No, that's not it, I swear. Just, just drop by please? I'll explain everything when you get here."

Jason checked the time again. 1:36. He sighed as heavily as he could manage just to annoy Dick, at least tall and brooding wasn't going to be there. Maybe, he could sneak some of Alfred's cookies in the deal. Not to mention he could always leave when he wanted to.

"Fine Dickie bird, give me a half an hour."

He could almost feel the excitement coming off the older man.

"Thanks Jaybird!"

0o0

Tim dropped his suitcase in front of the door the same time Dick did, their luggage rather small thankfully. Damian had yet to make an appearance, which although Tim wasn't concerned about, Dick was a little curious as to why he was taking so long.

"I trust you will keep in touch whilst you all are away, Master Richard?" Alfred asked.

Dick nodded.

"Of course we will Alfie, every day. We shouldn't be gone more than two days, just checking that sensor and heading home. Maybe a little sightseeing, it is Iceland after all."

They choose to keep mute on Tim's uncle.

"If you say so Sirs, I assume you would not like me to inform Master Bruce of this plan?" Typical Alfred already knew there was something afoot amongst them.

"Probably for the best Alfred." Tim gave an apologetic smile, as he lifted a small book bag over his shoulder. "If everything goes well, and it should, it should all go over fairly smoothly."

"As you wish Master Timothy."

At this point Damian made his way downstairs, holding two duffle bags and an additional suitcase. Dick and Tim shared an equally amused look as the youngest struggled to come down the stairs on his own.

"Did I miss the memo? Are we going on vacation?" Tim remarked as all the bags finally came to a ceremonious heap before him. Damian shot him a look.

"It's called being prepared, Drake. Not that this is a prospect you may be aware of."

"What? Are you prepared for us to be stranded for a month?" Dick jested, as he looked over all their luggage, Damian's taking up most of the space.

There was a knock on the door that distracted the youngest Wayne from making a sly remark in return. Which probably would have been something equivalent to the fact that they were about to travel up the side of a mountain for a useless sensor in the middle of nowhere, you could never be too careful.

"I'll get it Alfred, don't you worry."

Dick disappeared around the bend.

"Do be careful you two, mountain climbing is a rough business; even for those who have been trained like you." Alfred commented lightly beginning to take hold of their things to pack into the car.

Then, a loud voice began to comment from down the hall, and it certainly did not sound very happy.

"What the hell is going on? You promised an explanation, you Dick."

For once, Tim and Damian looked at each other with equal looks of unhappiness as Jason Todd and Dick rounded back around the corner. Jason was dressed in his usual attire of a worn shirt and leather jacket, a lone tattered duffle bag swung over his shoulder. From the look Tim and Damian received, they could tell this was Dick's doing and not his.

"You invited Todd?" Damian frowned, looking incredulous at the idea. Tim didn't look as pleased either.

"Well, Jason has a lot of traveling experience. Not to mention safety in numbers right? We could use his help and experience on the trip." Dick smiled, as if that solved everything.

"Do you realize how much _four_ last minute flight tickets cost to Reykjavík? Bruce is going to have your head." Tim gaped.

Dick shrugged.

"He won't mind if it's a family bonding activity, which is exactly what we're going to tell him if he asks."

Jason finally broke into the conversation.

"Excuse me? Family bonding? _Reykjavík, Iceland_? I don't believe this is what I signed up for, and _you_ certainly didn't say any of this on the phone." He pointed at Dick with a scowl.

"Oh, calm down Jay. Family bonding is our cover; we're really going on a scientific expedition!" Dick grinned as if they had all just won the lottery. "And on the way, we might find out what happened to Tim's missing Uncle!"

"You're welcome to stay here." Damian grumbled.

Jason leaned against the wall staring at them all as if he had realized maybe he was the only sane one in the family, and it was them that were bat shit crazy.

"Well," He shrugged. "Now I'm curious."

Dick checked the time.

"Shoot! We got to go or we're going to miss our flight. We'll explain on the way Jason. Everyone to the car, I'll grab some last minute things and then we're off!"

Jason ended up snagging the front seat, leaving an irritated Tim next to an even more irritated Damian for the car ride. Dick used the time to fill Jason in on everything that had happened since that morning, even handing him the copy of the book to see for himself till Tim snatched it away.

"So let me get this straight, I'm being dragged all the way over to Iceland to find a stupid sensor that any one of us could have found and achieved on our own? Because, and don't deny it Dick, that sounds like one of your ridiculous ruses to play at _family bonding time_." Jason glanced in the mirror to the back seat.

"And how did you manage to get the demon child in on this?"

Damian sniffed.

"Tt, I'm here to make sure they don't die. I don't want father to get on my case for it later."

Jason nodded.

"Right." He snorted.

Dick sighed as they pulled into the airport parking lot. Alfred had informed them he would be happy to arrange the pick up for the car later, since Dick had insisted on driving himself to add to the whole brothers' thing.

"It'll be fun Jason. You never know, maybe you'll like Iceland."

"Sounds pretty empty to me, but hey. You want to climb a mountain and drag me along? You get to bring up the rear. Then when we get back maybe we'll go to fucking Disneyland."

Dick grinned happily.

"There's the spirit!"

Damian was not a fan of public airports; they were loud, noisy and packed with people who didn't know their left from their right. Dick had somehow managed to make himself the leader of their expedition, so he led the way as they weaved about the crowds heading to their gate.

He couldn't have been more relieved when they boarded the plane, at five o'clock ready to leave the United States and travel half way around the world.

Since the plane was set up in rows of three, Jason had been more than happy to take the ticket that sat him across the aisle with complete strangers. It looked like he was going to use the trip as a sleeping experience.

Damian had fought tooth and nail for the window seat, leaving Dick to sit in the middle and Tim to sit on the end. Damian had brought along a book of Iceland to occupy his time, seeing he might as well get acquainted with the country. So Dick and Tim set about planning what the plan was when they landed, ignoring him which suited him just fine.

Half way through the flight, Tim leaned over to see what Dick had been up to. He had been awfully quiet which in any bat book, was concerning.

"What's with all the notes you're taping to the chair?" Tim asked. Till now, he had been taking the time to read a good chunk of 'Journey to the Center of the Earth', but it was a slow process.

Dick tapped his pencil on the multiple sticky notes.

"Trying to decipher the notes you're Uncle made in the book. I think I'm onto something here with the periodic table, see how their in pairs? As, Ur, Gr, I just haven't figured out what he might be trying to say."

Tim raised an eyebrow studying the message himself, before giving him a look.

"Sigurbjörn Ásgeirsson."

"Bless you." Dick commented. Tim huffed, before pulling the notes out if his hand and running his finger vertically down the letters.

"No, you moron. Sigurbjörn Ásgeirsson, read it this way, it's a name."

Dick snatched the notes back out of his hand to look for himself. He began to mutter before turning to Damian who, until now had been ignoring them.

"Is Sigurbjörn Ásgeirsson a name of a place? Can you check your map in that book?"

Tim rolled his eyes, before pulling out his device and beginning to type on it.

"It's the name of a person, not a place Dick. Check it out-"He held up his phone to show him an article published a few years ago. "Sigurbjörn Ásgeirsson was a scientist in Iceland who studied volcanic activity. His institution is just a few miles South from Mt Sneffels."

"Are you googling at 30,000 ft in the air?" Dick asked, looking at him in surprise.

"My Uncle would have known this guy, we have to check out is Institution first, he might have some answers as to where he went." Tim ignored the comment, focusing on the task at hand.

"Good point; as soon as we land we'll get a rental car and head out that way. But after we get something to eat, I'm starving."

Damian scoffed, placing his headphones back in. Tim scowled at the particular obnoxious snore that came from Jason across the way.

"The sooner the better." Dick added.

* * *

 _Reviews help :)_


	4. Ásgeirsson Institute and Climbing

_Here it is, another chapter. Thanks for the kind words._

 **Suggested soundtrack: Hannah and the Institute: www. youtube dot com / watch?v=ApIUaG7bID8 &list=PL7956D0F09A1AB992&index=13**

* * *

Chapter Four: Ásgeirsson Institute for Progressive Volcanology

"Are we there yet?" Jason asked, whining it perfectly to sound like a five year old.

After several minutes of trying to shove all their things in the trunk of the rental, many curses at Damian and perhaps some sneaking away for the snack machine from Dick; they finally headed out from Reykjavík Airport.

They had been on the road for three hours, and not a single thing in sight except rolling green hills and an empty road.

"You mean annoying? Yeah, we just past it." Tim snapped, finally having achieved the front seat.

"Hey, don't get snippy at me. It's your Uncle we're trying to rescue."

Dick sighed, reaching into the glove compartment and pulling out a large folded map, then tossed it to him.

"You want something fun to do? Navigate. Where are we?"

Jason began to unfold the map, taking several minutes to pull it out and flip it around to see any resemblance of what looked like English. He may have hit the younger Wayne next to him a few times, but if he was asked later about it he would deny it.

"Have we passed…Hafnarfjördûr?"

Tim and Dick turned to look at him with odd expressions.

"Hafnarfjördûr?" Dick repeated confused, his accent completely off. Not that Jason's had been any better.

"Isn't that in the opposite way we want to go Todd?" Damian interrupted, taking his headphones out to listen to the conversation.

"Alright, how about…Faxaflói?"

Dick looked at him blankly again.

"What? Uh…no?"

Jason cleared his throat, looking again at the map.

"Thjorsa?"

"I don't know."

"Isafjördur?"

"I don't know."

"Vathajökull?"

"I don't know."

"Are you making these up?" Tim asked, turning in his seat to look at him. Jason looked offended, holding the gigantic map up and thrusting it into his face.

"You want to try navigating? I sure as hell don't know what these places are. We're lost."

"We're not lost." Dick countered, still keeping his eyes on the road as they continued on. The road seemed to have no end in sight.

Damian turned to them with a very serious expression.

"What?" Tim snapped.

"I believe I saw a goat in the passing lane." Damian helpfully supplied.

They kept going down the one road they were on, since there had been no turns from where they had started. It was dark, and the environment had started to get fewer hills and more of a resemblance to mountains in the distance. It had been a good while on the road when they finally came across the first building they had seen in ages.

"Here, let's stop and ask for directions." Tim said, pointing to the tiny little shack.

Dick frowned.

"We're not lost." He argued continuing to drive. Jason leaned forward between the two seats to look at him incredulously.

"Oh no, we totally know exactly where we are. Let's just keep driving past the first sight of humanity we're had in hours. That sounds like a splendid idea. "

Dick scowled and finally slowed the car, pulling off the road on to a gravel driveway. He barely got it to a stop before Jason practically flung himself out of the car to stretch. Dick was not far behind.

"Are we here?" Damian asked, looking slightly dazed as if he had fallen asleep.

"No, we're asking directions." Tim supplied, leading the way up the path. He got a flashlight from inside the car and lit it up as the others fell in behind.

"Looks nothing more than a ski shack to me," Damian commented.

Tim walked over to a sign with over grown vegetation on it, lighting it up so the others could read. There on a aged white sign were the words 'Ásgeirsson Institute for Progressive Volcanology' printed in black neat letters. He let out a breathy laugh.

"Look at that! I told you we weren't lost, here we are. Not too shabby either," Dick announced with a beaming smile. He clutched his jacket closer from the chilly wind and took the lead towards the small little building on the hill up ahead.

"Doesn't look like any institution I've seen." Jason muttered following.

All four of them ended up on the rickety front porch of the building, but it was Tim who knocked on the door. There was some shuffling inside before a young female voice called out in Icelandic to them, which made them all look awkwardly at each other.

"I'm sorry!" Dick called through the door. "We don't speak Icelandic!"

"That's a first; none of us know how to speak a language. You would think all of us combined, someone would know it."

"I believed we discovered that with the navigation fiasco in the car a while ago, Todd." Damian sneered, which Jason would have been more upset if he hadn't been laughing inside at the knit hat he was wearing with the puff ball on top.

The door slowly opened to reveal a young brunette, with ice blue eyes looking quite taken aback by the four males standing on her doorstep. She held a mug of hot chocolate in hand and had a warm knit sweater hanging over her figure.

"Hi, can I help you?" Her accent was heavy, but she at least sounded friendly enough.

"My name is Richard Grayson, and these are my three brothers, Jason, Timothy and Damian." Dick started, acting formal in hopes of looking creditable.

"Hello," She responded. "I'm Lori, how are you?" She shook hands with Dick before turning to look at the others with a reserved expression.

"We're with Wayne Industries investigating a project that involved this institute a few years ago, we we're hoping to speak with…forgive me here- Sigurbjörn Ásgeirsson?" Jason snickered at the brutal mess up of the man's name.

Lori frowned.

"Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you but Sigurbjörn Ásgeirsson is dead. He passed away two winters ago. I was not aware that there were any projects still going on with Wayne Industries."

Dick turned to look uncomfortably to the others, so Tim stood forward.

"Do you run the institute?"

"Nobody does," She responded, "I'm afraid there is no Institute."

All four dark haired males looked at each other in defeat.

"The sign down the road clearly stated-"Damian began a little irritated that they had gotten out of the car for no reason. Lori held up her hand to gesture she meant well.

"Progressive Volcanology was a failed idea, like the Berlin Wall or eight track tapes." She explained. Her eyebrow poised as she noticed their reactions. "Would you like to come in?" She held the door a little wider.

0o0

"So did you work with Mr. Ásgeirsson?" Tim asked, once they we're all comfortably seated around a kitchen table in the small house. Lori had offered them a warm meal and some hot cocoa for their troubles, and now Tim wanted some sort of answers.

"Oh no, he was my step-father." She explained, seating herself.

Tim pulled out ' _A Journey to the Center of the Earth_ ,' and placed it on the table before her so she could look at it clearly.

"Yeah, I know it. What about it?" She responded, seeming uninterested by the old novel.

"It belonged to my Uncle Christopher Drake; it was one of his possessions before he went missing. We believe he may have been in contact with your step-father before he disappeared on a scientific expedition about volcanic tubes, almost eighteen years ago."

"Christopher Drake?" She sounded surprised at the name. "Yeah, he was. Your uncle was a Vernian."

"Well that sounds dorky, must be right." Jason sniggered, but was silenced by a kick from Dick under the table.

"What's a Vernian?" Dick chimed in.

Lori sighed, before picking up the novel and beginning to explain.

"Someone who believes that the writings of Jules Vern were actual fact. However, the guy is a science fiction writer, and yet this society of believers regarded Vern like a visionary. My step-father was the biggest Vernian of them all."

Tim scrunched his eyebrows tight, looking disbelieving.

"My uncle was no Vernian, he believed in scientific fact. He spent his life's work on the idea of progressive volcanology. He may have been wrong, but he didn't believe that Jules Vern wrote nonfiction works." Tim defended.

Damian snorted, but remained in an arrogant silence.

Lori snapped the book shut before getting up from the table and heading to one of the many book shelves. From the middle row she pulled out a large thick hard cover, and placed it on the table before Tim. She opened to a random page, and taking Tim's copy she opened to the same page and compared them.

"This was my step father's copy, take a look." She nodded in the direction of the writings. "See? The markings are exactly the same. Your Uncle was a Vernian."

"Wow, your uncle was really out there." Dick mumbled, taking the books and looking for himself at the identical markings.

Tim snatched his book back.

"You didn't know him, Dick."

Jason grabbed it from him.

"I'm starting to think maybe you didn't know him as well as you thought."

"He went missing before I was even one year old." Tim snapped, irritated. "He was no member of a secret society. My dad would have told me."

Lori sat back down, giving them all an intrigued look.

"Then, what _are_ you doing here?"

"Well, like we said we work for Wayne Industries, and were here because there is an old seismic sensor going off thirty clicks north of here…that we think we should check into." Dick explained. "It's that plain and simple."

"And you think looking into this sensor will give you a clue as to where Christopher went eighteen years ago?" Lori asked, gratefully taking her book back.

"It would seem so," Damian scowled.

"You do know there are no roads to the north? I'm a mountain guide I could help you find your sensor." Lori offered.

"Oh no, that's alright. You've been a great help as it is. We really appreciate it, we're just going to head out in the morning and hopefully be back by sundown." Dick thanked her graciously.

She smiled.

"Alright, if you need a place to stay my doors are open."

0o0

They set out at dawn, Lori giving them basic instructions as to where to go once they hit the base of the mountain. Their packs were filled with previsions and supplies, courtesy of Damian's over packing, and Jason made sure Dick held to his deal and took up the rear of their little company.

"C'mon you imbeciles, I want to be back by sundown like you promised. There's a storm on the way," Damian called out from the head, making his way up the side of the mountain with ease. His training had included mountain climbing on a regular basis, thus no struggle for him to stay on pace.

Jason stumbled when a rock fell lose under his boot.

"Fucking mountain climbing is nothing like scaling a skyscraper. I can't believe you all dragged me into this."

"Oh come Jay, look at the sunrise! We're completely free of responsibility up here, and absolutely nothing to bother us." Dick chimed in, holding up the end with equal grace to Damian.

"I wouldn't say _nothing_." Tim commented looking down the rock side at the two. He looked fairly tired, but seemed to be enjoying a seemingly quiet hike. "You're here."

"Haha," Dick commented. "How much further?"

"Shouldn't be much more," Tim replied, checking his compass. He hiked his bag a little up his shoulders. "We already have traveled a good distance."

"This damn mountain is going to be the death of me," Jason sighed, as he gripped some rock beside him. "And I don't want my do over of death to be worse than the first time."

"Well, Mount Sneaffles is particularly deceptive, Jason. You better be careful." Tim jibed.

"Mount Sniffles? What the hell kind of name is that?"

"Sneaffles Jason and it happens to be the mountain that the main character from _A Journey to the Center of the Earth_ , Liedenbrock, apparently found a portal to the center of the Earth." Dick explained, pulling out the book as e spoke. "Listen to this:

 _"…in the center of the Jokul of the Snaeffles when the shadow of Scartaris touches, at the kalends of July, you will attain the center of the Earth."_ Dick waved his hands at the passage and made an 'oo'ing noise.

"Kalends of July?" Jason questioned.

"The first of July, which happens to be today," Tim frowned. "Let's just find that sensor."

0o0

"There it is!" Damian announced about mid-afternoon once he came over a crest in the rock. Heavy storm clouds had rolled in, blocking out the sun. Thunder had been rolling for the past ten minutes of their journey.

"Oh thank _God_."Jason praised. "What exactly do we need to do with the stupid thing again?"

Tim held up a small silver key.

"We got to unlock it, inside there's a little black box that has recorded all the seismic activity that has transpired over the past twenty years. It could tell us a lot about what my Uncle was doing before he went missing."

Thunder rumbled fairly close. Then, a light rain began to fall.

"Perfect, let's just hurry up." Jason groaned.

Tim, Dick and Damian crowded about the tiny little metal cylinder with an antenna that was attached to the ground. A red light blinked rhythmically on top. The rain just got harder, coming fast and in sheets.

That's when the first lightning bolt hit, sending a static shock up their spines.

"Shit, that was close! We need to find shelter now!" Jason called over the gathering rain. Damian stood, looking around before he spotted a small cave not far on the other side of the rocky clearing.

"There! We got to get under there or we'll be fried alive."

Tim and Dick continued working on the sensor, pulling hard on the metal cover to get it to move up so they could see inside.

"It must be corroded!"Dick shouted, pulling hard. The small cover moved barely a half an inch. Tim looked up just in time to see another strike, this time much closer, striking the rock where they had come over the ledge.

"Dick, we have to leave it! We got to find cover like Jason and Damian said!" Tim replied, letting go. Jason and Damian we're already half way to the small cave that had been spotted.

"No! This is important Tim! I almost got it! I'll be right there!"

Tim looked at him astonished.

"It's not worth your life! Dick, come on!" He pulled on his backpack strap, but he refused to let go of the sensor. The other two had reached the cave and had turned to start yelling at them.

"Dick, I'm leaving! We can come back!" Tim began to take off just as Dick finally got the thing released from the ground.

"Yes!" Dick shouted in triumph holding the sensor in the air to show the others. "I got it!"

Tim saw it coming before Dick did.

"DICK!" Tim screamed when lightning struck again, this time far too dangerously close to when they had just been standing. "What the hell are you thinking?!"

Jason and Damian we're screaming for them to hurry up.

"I got it, I'm coming!" He cried, chasing after Tim. Tim stopped and turned in horror.

"Dick! The sensor's attracting the lightning! You have to drop it or you're going to get hit!" Tim cried, only to hear Jason screaming to drop it as well.

"What?" Dick called over the storm. "I'm not going to drop it! This is our only chance to find out-"

" _It's attracting the lightning_!"Tim screamed. " _God's sake, Dick, let it go_!"

The older man barely got the warning in time, finally throwing it down just as the fatal strike hit; completely destroying the remains of the sensor. They all swarmed into the cave, Dick diving in, just as the last lightning strike came down.

The rocks in the entrance came raining down upon them.

* * *

 _Reviews_ _= Motivation and help with grammar and plot errors! The story is guided by you. Thanks!_


	5. A Gateway to the Bottomless Depths

_Thank you for all the kind reviews! You sweethearts. You wanted to know what's next, here it is:_

 _No soundtrack this time, but there is one next time! :)_

* * *

 **Chapter Five: A Gateway to the Bottomless Depths**

The cave went dark, and the only thing Tim could hear besides from his own erratic breathing was the coughing and sputtering of his brothers around him. The entrance was completely blocked; all the rocks from the mountain had slid down. It would take them months to dig out that way.

A few seconds passed before Dick finally spoke into the dark.

"Everyone okay?"

"Grayson! You-you imbecile!" A few more syllables came from Damian's direction and Tim wasn't sure if it was Arabic or complete gibberish.

"Here, demon brat let me finish that for you. _Dick_! You fucking moron! Why would you hold a _metal_ sensor in the air during a damn lightning storm? You could have fried us all!" Jason eloquently added.

Tim sighed as he began to rummage through his backpack that had been thrown from his back when he landed. From the front pocket he managed to procure two glow sticks, and cracked them quickly for some light.

"Not that our situation is any better." Damian added sourly.

"They got a fairly good point Dick." Tim finally spoke up, holding the sticks in the air to get a feel for the area. He surveyed his brothers around him in the small cave. Apart from being dusty and generally pissed off; they seemed to all be in one piece. "You should have let it go when I told you; you almost killed the both of us."

"Tim that was the only clue you had to finding your Uncle. I didn't want to give it up that easily." Dick's blue eyes caught in the glowing yellow light. Tim sighed.

"It's not worth your life. Now we have to find a way out."

All four of them looked at each other uneasily. They all knew trying to dig out wasn't going to work.

"Any chances any of you have cell service in here do you?" Jason broke the unease.

There was a moment as they all looked at their phones respectively.

"Didn't think so." Jason groaned.

"There's got to be another exit," Tim reasoned. "Collectively we got enough rations and supplies to last us a while as long as we're careful." He dug around again in his bag and began to pull out mounted flashlights that one would wear around their head.

"One of these might snake back up to the surface." Dick said, having taken one of the glow sticks and shining them down the cave. Two tunnels split off at the end, one looking like it went deeper and the other looking like it went back up.

"I'm not wearing a dorky flashlight around my head," Jason scowled when Tim handed him one.

"We're going to be trapped for a while Todd." Damian snapped. "You're going to need both your hands. Especially with the way you climb."

"Don't even get me started you little-"

"Not here!" Dick interrupted. "Please _don't_ fight right now. We _don't_ have time to waste. We got to find our way back and to do that we _have_ to work as a team."

"Fucking fantastic, this is totally how I wanted to spend my week. Trapped in a cave, if I was going to die again-"

"Yes Jason, we heard you the first time. You want to die better than the last time. Please take a flashlight." Tim shoved the thing into his hands and headed over to where Dick stood by the tunnels.

"My gut says go to the one that's heading back upwards." Tim offered with a small smile as Damian and Jason headed over.

Jason snapped on his light and looked down the tunnel.

"Looks promising to me I guess."

"Tt."

The tunnel took a sharp turn, narrowing and causing them to make a single for line. Jagged rocks protruded from the walls, forcing them to bend and contort around them. Luckily their years of training didn't make the task to difficult to complete.

"Alright, this should be a piece of cake. One foot in front of the other and we'll be out of here in no time! We might even get some training out of the whole-"

Tim shined his light over the rock face, studying it carefully as Dick rambled leading the way. They were barely a few feet in when Tim saw it.

"Dick!" He reached out and grabbed the back of his jacket just as the older Bat started to tumble forward. There in front of them was a gigantic chasm in the ground, with no end in visible sight.

"This isn't training Dick, its life or death here. You have to watch we're your going!" He warned, letting out a relived breath.

A loud crunching noise was heard, and everyone turned to Damian. The ten year old startled, before lifting his foot to see what he had stepped on. An old rusted metal sign sat there, partially covered and in Icelandic. Damian leaned over and picked it up, looking at the words with a small frown.

 _Vivcurvaeri Ut._

"Great, the whole no Icelandic amongst us has really got to be fixed." Jason growled.

"Keep Out."

All three of them turned to look at the youngest Wayne again.

"Wait, you know Icelandic?" Tim asked taken aback.

Damian huffed.

"I was trying to learn it on the plane, but I recognize this from the important section of my book. The sign says keep out."

"Maybe that's some decent advice," Jason commented looking down the dark shaft again.

"Tt, only you would be so simple Todd. This could be our way out. That hole might lead to an old mine shaft and that would be a way out."

Dick frowned.

"Looks deep though," He shined his light directly down. "It could go on for miles. Here, Dami, hand me one of those flares you packed. Tim, look at your watch and count how many seconds it takes before it disappears."

"Good plan." Tim caught on, as Dick lit the flare.

"Okay, one, two-"

Suddenly sparks lit the cave and a large explosion sounded. Dick yelped dropping the flare as the other three took for cover in surprise. It was Damian who realized it first.

"The walls, Grayson, the walls are made of magnesium! Its running in veins all the way down!"

"Magnesium is kinda flammable isn't it?" Jason noted, "It's in gunpowder?"

"At least you're not completely useless Todd."

Tim walked between them holding up one of the glow sticks. Jason and Damian continued at it from behind.

"Same principle, but at least a glow stick isn't going to blow the joint." Tim smiled weakly. "Ready?"

Dick held out the light again, this time when dropping it down it fell quietly. It was almost two seconds when the tiny light disappeared and almost three before the little thud sounded to signal its stop.

"If I did my math right, thirty-two feet per second squared…. that's about two hundred feet deep." Tim announced. "You're basic twenty story high rise. You got enough rope Damian?"

"Tt, I told you I would be the most prepared."

"At least we got a lot of practice scaling high buildings huh?" Jason commented as the youngest got to work setting up a pulley system for the four of them to rappel down.

They got to work setting up a stable rope system that would hold their weight and drop them safely down into the mine shaft. Each one of them secured themselves in rope harnesses, attaching each line together for support. They agreed to let Dick go first, then Jason. Tim and Damian would come together last so one of them could try to salvage the rope once they got to the bottom.

Dick dropped down first with the rope secured around his waist and his thighs. Easing down into the shaft, he held the rope with dirty palms, pushing his whole weight on the rope and beginning to walk down the wall.

"Looking good down here, way, way down here. You guys are coming down right?"

"Alright, Jason's next. Just remember we're all connected so if one of us slips up we're pulling everyone else too." Tim reminded checking the ropes attachment to the rocks again.

"I won't slip, so you two better hold your weight." Damian snapped.

"Hey," Tim remarked in amusement. "Schist."

"What?! What do you mean shit?!" Jason cried, barely a few feet down.

"Schist, Jason." Tim responded with a roll of his eyes. "It's a type of metamorphic rock."

Tim and Damian began to lower themselves in.

"Right, Schist, schist everywhere." Jason commented, looking all over the walls. They had gotten a good decent way down when something pulled on all their lines, Damian shot up a foot whilst Tim dropped a few inches. Jason began to curse up a storm from below.

"Grayson! Get back to the wall! You're going to pull us all down!" Damian snapped, hugging the rock.

"I can't! The walls widen out down here!" Dick called back up. "I still can't see the bottom!"

Tim watched as Damian pulled out a knife from his pocket and turned to look down at the oldest, who was a good decent way down by now.

"Grayson, you're caught on my rope; you're going to take us all with you. I'm cutting your line!"

"What? Wait, wait, wait! Don't- Damian!" Dick chanted in a panic. Tim was sure Jason was just as horrified as he felt when he watched the younger Wayne cut the rope. There was a short cry, the sound of the ropes changing and then a sudden grunt.

"Uh, guys? Found it. Bottom's right here." Dick called up to them as they all slid smoothly to the ground with him. Damian gave a sharp tug on the spare rope and the cord fell from the knot that had been put in place.

"Dami, you knew the bottom was here right?" The oldest asked, looking at the ten year old. "Right?"

"Tt,"

Jason snorted.

"Wouldn't count on that being a yes Dickiebird."

The four began to wander down the only tunnel that was available, coming to a stop when an old doorway came into view with their head lamps. A sign was posted above, reading something that was hard to make out from the dirt that covered it.

Damian made his way to the front of the group to get a good look at what it said.

"It's the Old Bla'gils Mine," He sounded fairly impressed. "It was abandoned after the big disaster sixty years ago." He supplied.

"You know this how?"

"I read it on the plane, moron."

Tim frowned, looking down the rock tunnel. Then back up at the sign that hung above their heads, something Damian had said wasn't sitting right with him.

"Uh, how big was this disaster, exactly?"

Damian looked at him.

"Eighty one dead."

With that happy note, Damian took the lead as they traveled down the remains of the old mine. It was a bit to claustrophobic for all of them, and they were forced to walk single file once more. There was a good moment of silence before the youngest Wayne broke it.

"Grayson, you did say something about this mountain, Sneaffles, being the setting of that ridiculous novel correct?"

Dick couldn't make out his little brother's face in the dark, but he responded nonetheless.

"Yeah, you think we're going to fall through to the center of the Earth Dami?"

"Tt, I was merely observing the literature importance of the mountain, not acknowledging the idea that the novel could have been scientific fact. If that's what you want, turn to Drake."

"What's that?"Jason's voice broke the silence.

Their lights hit what looked like the center of the mine, machinery and mine carts were strewn about them going on as far as their lights could make out.

"This is the old generator for the mine." Tim realized stepping forward to look closer, and dusting off the controls.

"Hey, Tim, let's not mess with that okay? Last thing we want is to make some old generator explode or something," Dick warned. Tim flipped a switch, and an automated whirring sound started up.

"Drake, there could be volatile compounds in there. Grayson is right, it will explode!"

Tim ignored them, switching more switches and finally pushing up a handle that caused the whole thing to bang before slowly, floodlights began to sputter on in the mine, softly illuminating the area.

"Okay, take that back." Dick blinked, taking off his flashlight and looking out into the mine's depths. "This has to be our way out right? The miners had to get their stuff out somewhere along these tracks."

Jason grinned.

"Hell yeah, I call front car."

* * *

 _My favorite part is next haha. Are you ready to head on the wild ride with them?_

 _Reviews help me keep this good, and fast updates :)_


	6. The Roller Coaster Ride From Hell

_And here we go, only a little late but not to shabby. I'm on vacation, so if there are some grievous errors I am very sorry!_

 _No Soundtrack, but there's one for the next chapter! (Yes I know I said that last time, but I thought I was going to get to that part and I didn't)_

* * *

 **Chapter Six: The Roller Coaster Ride From Hell**

"This is a terrible idea, we don't even know if the tracks are safe!" Dick frowned. "Let's just walk them."

"Well how many got out last time Demon?" Jason asked.

"One."

"Good enough for me, let's get this on the move on; I want to get home before the weekend." Jason hopped into one of the mine carts, looking at them expectantly. Dick still didn't look like he approved the mode of transportation.

Tim came around the bend of the tracks, expertly commandeering a pump car to serve as a way to get the carts on a roll. The wheels squeaked and whined but ran fairly well given their age.

"Track ahead looks good enough for me, get in."

Dick frowned as Damian shrugged, then hopped into the cart behind Jason. Seeing he was out numbered, Dick doubled checked to make sure all their carts were still connected before sensitively boarding the last cart. Tim gave a mighty heave pushing down on the pump, and they began to move.

Tim gripped the handles tight, pushing the carts quickly up what almost felt like a hill. Damian and Jason both leaned forward out of their carts to see into the shadows ahead.

"Damian, please sit back." Dick warned, clutching the side of the metal cart.

"Hey, I think I see something ahead!" Jason called.

"If it's not daylight, then I don't want to know!" Dick responded but leaned forward to see over Damian's head.

"Uh…No, it's not daylight." Jason suddenly turned with a wide look, pushing Damian down into his cart. "We're in deep schist."

And then, the carts lurched forward and took a nose dive, the tracks heading down like a roller coaster. Speed picked up as Dick was thrust back into the cart with the wind, the lights scattered about the track giving him only moments of sight. He heard Tim give a gasp and he stopped pushing, choosing instead to cling on for dear life.

They entered a huge mining cavern, the tracks branching in various directions, running on steel supports suspended in midair. The sheer momentum kept them hurdling down, snaking and looping through at a dizzying speed.

"I wish there were seatbelts on this damn thing!" Jason shouted, clinging to the cart with a tight grip.

"You're worried about seatbelts _now_ Todd?" Damian cried incredulously.

The carts hit the bottom of the hill and took a sharp turn to the right, turning them all to a forty-five degree angle. A low ceiling with some sign flew past, and Tim barely managed to duck from his standing position in the rear.

That's when Dick saw the track ahead.

"Tim!"

"I know!" Was the reply and suddenly, Dick jerked from the force of Tim's platform slamming into his. Tim pushing like crazy to gain more speed.

The track ahead was broken, and the fall below had no end. It would be a horrible death.

"Pull the brake! Pull it!" Jason screamed, staring at the track with equal horror. Only Damian seemed to be against the plan, instead turning back.

"Faster, Drake!"

"Damian!" Dick cried in disgust.

"He's right!" Tim called over the sound of the wheels clacking on the rails. "If I pull the brake now we'll never stop in time. If I get us going faster-"

"That's suicide!" Jason replied.

Tim leaned forward, focused, ignoring the cries of the two older males ahead of him. The drop getting closer as they rounded the bend.

And then, they we're airborne, flying off the rails and crashing towards the other side of the tracks. Dick gripped even tighter, the prospect of falling to his death at this height a little too close to home. A slew of indistinctive words came from Jason at the front.

Then, they hit.

Dick opened his eyes in shock as they landed on the tracks once more, Tim still pushing for speed from behind. A small whoop escaping from him as adrenaline pumped.

"Sweet Lord!" Jason exclaimed.

They hit a three way fork, their carts had broken apart during their free fall, and suddenly they separated. Jason went up and to the left, Dick down whilst Damian and Tim headed to the right and up.

"Everybody hold on!" Dick called out, watching as his two youngest brothers shot away in the opposite direction and Jason heading above him.

Dick pulled the lever in front of him thinking is was the break, but instead the back door flew open. Startled the oldest Wayne pulled it shut, pulling the lever next to it instead. The cart began to whirl about, as if he was in the spinning tea cup ride at Disney.

He could hear Jason snickering from above.

Dick's stomach lurched as he managed to get the cart back into control and facing straight once more, spinning coming to a stop.

He looked up to see if Jason was heading in the same direction when he saw the warning signs flashing ahead. Red lights warned of the track ending abruptly, and Dick panicked.

"Jason! You're track ends! Jump!"

"What?" He snapped, looking down as they continued to move quickly, gaining speed.

"Jump into my cart! Now!"

Jason looked down again and then back at his track. The final warning signs beginning to pass, the younger began to hike himself up, placing a boot on the rim.

"You let me fall, so help me-"

"Oh my God, Jason _just jump_!" Dick snapped. He took one last look down, and then leapt, landing unfortunately right into Dick's frame, knocking them both down to the bottom of the cart. Jason sat up first, looking back at his track and cursed heavily.

His cart slammed into a rock wall, smashing heavily and tilting over the edge. It fell down for good while before the light of the cart disappeared, the sounds of it echoed through the mine. Dick had saved his life. At least he thought before he turned to look ahead.

"Dick, your track ends too!"

"You're _joking!_ "

Jason suddenly spun Dick around beginning to rummage through his bag, unzipping pockets like a mad man as he searched. He pulled out a length of rope, and then from the floor of the cart a spare piece of rusted iron that seemed to have fallen. They were picking up speed.

"What are you doing?" Dick asked as Jason spun him back around and began to hook the rope through their safety clips of their bags.

"Saving your worthless ass."

"Can I help?"

Knotting the rope around the spare metal Jason flung it back onto the track. A wall of solid rock approaching merely yards away from impact. The yellow and red signs growing more frequent as the end of the path came closer. Jason then pulled Dick in like an unwanted hug, checking one last time to make sure their rope secured them together.

"Hold on!"

The iron got stuck underneath the track, pulling the rope taught around them. The sheer force of it lifted Jason and Dick straight out of the cart and backwards on the track. Somehow, Jason landed first with the older man landing hard on his stomach.

The cart slammed into the wall ahead, crashing hard enough to cause several pieces of rubble to fall from the low ceiling. The cart itself crumbled under the sheer force of impact.

Jason groaned, whilst Dick rolled off, sounding equally in pain. The rope still kept them attached by the hooks on their bags.

The sound of two carts came around the bend, and Damian and Tim rolled to an easy stop on a joining track. Both of them looking winded and wide eyed from whatever journey they had gone on.

"Tt, what happened to you?" Damian asked, hopping out of the front cart as Tim stumbled down from his rear platform.

"Ugh, don't ask." Jason grunted as he sat up. Tim raised an eyebrow at the scene, noting the crashed mine cart ahead.

"Cutting it close?" Was all he said before heading over to help them up. They stood in a tangled mess while Tim tried to undo Jason's hastily made knots, Dick rubbing his head from impact.

"Check this out; this could be our way out!" Damian sounded from down the track near their crashed cart. A large crunching came through before he had moved the cart.

"There's a hole in the wall." Dick stated looking at the site.

"He might be right," Tim stated sourly, before heading over to the youngest. Jason and Dick followed in a daze, studying the small hole that seemed to lead to a new room within the mine.

"Rubies," Damian stated, holding a flashlight to the new formed wall. "And Emeralds. The miners never got to the riches, but they certainly came close."

"Feldspar." Tim commented at the other remaining rocks, just as Jason and Dick entered the small circular room.

"Don't forget the diamonds." Jason added impressed, heading over to the opposite side and beginning to pick at the valuable gems. Dick pulled out his own flashlight and aimed it up towards the ceiling only to find there was none. He turned towards Tim, ignoring Damian and Jason's rock collecting.

"Say, aren't crystals normally formed and found in high temperatures provided by…volcanic tubes?" Tim looked up with him, staring in surprise at the long tunnel up.

"This will lead us back up to the surface, right?" Dick asked.

"Yeah." Tim nodded.

"We're not that far from the surface, right?"

"Yeah." Tim agreed.

"When we get back up, I'm buying whole ton of nice stuff. Starting with a mansion to rival Wayne Manor." Jason stated holding up a diamond to inspect it.

"Money is not the only thing that matters Jason, people matter too." Dick commented, still looking up the volcanic tube.

Damian snorted, moving towards where Jason stood as they switched places.

"Not for Todd."

A low creak echoed through the shaft, and all of them froze.

"Did you hear that?" Tim whispered. Damian bent over suddenly, looking at the floor with a horrified expression. He looked back up at them when he ran his hand over the stone.

"Please tell me that's not what I think it is." Tim looked at Damian. " _Muscovite_?"

"Muscovite." Damian solemnly nodded.

"What's muscovite?" Jason asked, still frozen against the wall at their dark expressions.

"Well," Tim began. "Muscovite is a very thin type of rock formation. So thin that even the slightest change in weight and pressure could… cause it to shatter. And we're standing on a lot of it."

Jason began to move back towards the door.

"Stop, stop moving Jay." Dick warned as the rock shuddered beneath them. The creaking and groaning continued for a few seconds before finally falling silent.

"Okay, it stopped. As long as we walk back exactly the way we came in, we should be just fine. Start with Damian since he's the furthest out."

Damian took a single step forward, his feet spread apart as if he was walking on ice. Dick and Tim slowly reached their hands out to grab him just in case, ignoring the scowls they got in return. Something shifted behind him, and a diamond fell.

They all sucked in a breath as they watched.

Once that diamond was free, another stumbled. Then another. And then multiple rocks.

Nothing.

"Must be thicker than I thought."Tim breathed a small laugh.

The creaking started up again, and Dick's heart fell in his chest as he saw spider thin cracks begin to form in the floor. He reached out and grabbed Jason by his jacket, then Tim by his sleeve.

"Damian, grab onto one of us."

Damian stretched out his hand reaching for Dick when the weight finally gave; the ten year old abandoned all caution, throwing himself at the others just as the muscovite finally shattered.

All four fell with varying screeches and curses, plunging into the dark chasm below, their flashlights flipping in the air before following them down. The wind pushed against them as they tumbled, whipping harshly through their hair and clothes as the platform they stood on slowly disappeared above.

* * *

 _There you have it! Cliff hanger. Sorry! Don't kill me!_

 _Reviews help vent anger on cliff hangers and help me in improvements :)_


	7. Christopher Drake

_Hi! Sorry for the late update! I was on vacation!_

 _Song for this chapter: Water Drop:_ _www youtube dot com /watch?v=MLFz0RCVESU_

 _Now to end that cliff hanger!_

* * *

 ** _Chapter Seven: Christopher Drake_**

They fell.

And fell.

Then fell some more.

"Should I say the whole cliché line of 'we're still falling' and then we all start screaming again?" Jason called out to them, sounding mortified and confused at the same time.

An odd calmness fell over them.

"Why haven't we hit the bottom?" Dick yelled, looking at his youngest brothers for some scientific explanation as to why they didn't resemble Alfred's pancakes yet. It was Jason who decided to give the helpful response.

"Our minds are stretching out the final fleeting moments of our lives, it's actually happening in a blink of an eye and we're already dead!"

Dick blanched.

"Anyone got some better theories?"

"Well, Jules Vern had a theory that these tubes could run for hundreds if not thousands of miles through the Earth's core!" Tim tried.

"Vern was incorrect in his theory!" Damian argued.

Dick looked beyond exasperated.

"I can't believe you two are still arguing even as we fall to our deaths!" He turned to Tim. "Any other ideas?"

"Well, perhaps the walls are going to gently slope from erosion that was caused by water that might still be running through these tunnels? The water would serve as a gentle break to our fall, kind of like a water slide!" Tim shouted over the air.

"Alright, water slide. That's a theory!"

"Tt, Drake! You're forgetting the percentage of probability that the water formed stalagmites pointing straight up at us! We would be skewered at one hundred eighty miles per hour!"

Jason looked down in horror, the theories sounding far worse than when he had died the first time.

That's when something splashed on his face.

Water.

Large globules of water we're practically floating up at them as they descended, which meant two things. Either Tim was right, or Damian was right.

"Everybody hold hands!" Dick screamed, and for once no Bat complained.

The thunderous sound of water reached their ears, rapid waterfalls beginning to fall about them. No matter what theory was right, they we're about to get drenched. Their grips tightened around another as they began to fall into a funnel of heavy rapids.

It was Jason who slipped first, then Tim and finally Damian as they were swept away from one another by the strong currents. None of them we're able to fight or swim against it, the end looking far too close.

Tim was emerged in water from all sides, and finally there was calm. He was no longer being dragged or pulled, just blissfully still in the cool atmosphere. Pushing up, he aimed for the lighter area of the water, praying that he was heading to the surface.

He broke just as Jason did. Gasping for air, treading water and looked wildly about for any sign of the oldest and youngest brothers in the water about them. A few seconds passed before Dick emerged a few feet away from them.

"Where's Damian?" He called out to them.

Tim and Jason exchanged looks before taking deep breaths and diving back in. When they both came up again, neither of them had the youngest Wayne in hand.

"Help!" Dick called, spluttering up. "I found him, but his bag is too heavy, I can't get him free!"

Tim and Jason swam over, before diving once more into the dark waters scrambling to save the youngest Wayne from drowning. It was Jason who got there first, fumbling with the buckle of the mountain bag around Damian's chest. It felt like an eternity before it snapped free, which Tim and Dick grabbed together before thrusting back up.

They collapsed on a makeshift beach of a large cavern. Heaving for breath and all lucky to be alive after a drop that significant.

"We didn't get skewered," Dick finally spoke.

"Yeah, but now we're at the bottom of a volcanic tube who know how many miles deep with supplies that will only last us days." Tim frowned. "And as far as I can see…"He trailed off.

"What?" Jason asked noticing his face, a face he rarely ever had seen on the replacement. Confusion.

"Is it just me, or is the ceiling of this cave _moving_?"

All four of them gazed to the top of the cave, taken aback to see that he was right. Small blue lights flickered, moving about above them.

"Are those, stars?" Dick asked.

"Of course they are not stars, Grayson." Damian huffed, coming to his feet at last. He looked a little pale, but otherwise seemed more than willing to ignore the whole past incident.

"Well, what are they?"

The ceiling began to separate into sparkling fragments, and then stopped midair as if the lights were spreading out into a glowing, fluttering mass. It was Damian that figured it out first.

"Archaeopteryx," He exclaimed. "However, these seem much smaller and…bioluminescent."

"Alright, how about that again but in English." Jason frowned.

"They're birds." Tim clarified startled. "Birds from the Jurassic era, but like Damian said much smaller and their glowing. Like fireflies or glowworms."

"You've seen these before Dami?" Dick wondered.

"Tt, of course. As fossils in museums, they've been extinct for over a hundred and fifty million years."

"Those don't look extinct to me." Jason commented, as suddenly the swarm came down circling them before taking off down a crack in the wall that had gone amiss till now.

None of them had to say a word to know that they were all thinking the same thing. Grabbing their gear, the four bats followed the strange creatures through the wall. All of them hoping beyond hope that maybe they had finally discovered a way back to the Earth's surface.

As they headed forth, light began to glow, and before they understood what was happening they stepped onto the edge of a gigantic cliff overlooking the most breathtaking landscape any of them had ever seen. Not far away was a large waterfall flowing down the side of a cliff covered in luscious green vegetation. Below were ferns as tall as pine trees, and giant flowers in bright blinding colors.

The center of it all, in the sky was an odd, strangely glowing gas-filled electric sky.

"Where are we?" Jason asked first.

"I don't believe it," Dick laughed. "We are standing, Jason, Tim, and Dami, in the center…"

"The center?" Tim blinked.

"…of the Earth!"

They all stared at the massive land before them, some in awe, and some in disbelief. The birds circled high above in a clump, before spreading out within the sky.

"It's not possible!" Damian exclaimed.

"Maybe we're dead, and this is heaven." Tim mumbled under his breath at the sight.

"No, I know what being dead is like and we haven't hit there yet." Jason commented.

They all turned to look at him.

Jason shrugged.

Dick laughed, pulling his backpack off his shoulders and beginning to rummage through the contents. Somehow the inside hadn't been damaged in the water. He pulled out Jules Verne's book, and began to rummage through.

"He was right! Tim _your uncle_ was right!"

"How is there light down here? I take it that's not the sun?" Jason asked, staring at the orange glow from the top of the cave.

"It must be…some sort of luminescent gas combination." Tim frowned, still taking it all in at once. "Like a terrarium. A terrarium thousands of miles under the earth's crust."

"A world, within a world." Dick laughed again.

They began to make their way down from the cliff they entered on, finally entering the actual forest below. The whole world was fluorescent and bright, like a tropical biome. Wandering through the large palm leaves and ferns, the sounds of the water they had probably slid down echoed from above.

" _The waterfalls, which for a long time could be heard flowing from afar cascaded along the towering canyon walls, streaming along the rock with no end_." Dick read as they walked.

There had to be at least six coming down from where they had entered.

"It's exactly how Liedenbrock wrote,"

Jason turned to look at him, snorting as Dick attempted to read and walk at the same time. Plants swatting him in the face as he trailed behind. He pulled a particular branch back, waited for him to get close enough before releasing it. The large leaf swatted him right in the face.

Dick didn't look amused.

"Does this mean, Liedenbrock the character, was real?" Tim questioned. "That he once existed and traveled here?"

Dick threw his hands in the air in bewilderment.

"Someone came down here and saw all this, someone must have gotten out and someone told Verne."

"Someone got out? That's the best news I've heard yet!" Jason snorted.

Tim did not look so convinced, and Damian merely looked sourer than him. Allowing Jason and Damian to move ahead, Tim fell behind to pull Dick to the side. His face set in a stricken frown.

"If he was real and told Verne, does that mean everything in the book is real?"

"Probably." Dick nodded, not understanding why Tim looked so grim.

"Even the really dangerous parts?"

Now Dick understood, looking down at the worn novel in his hands.

"That's not good."

Jason called out from ahead, catching their attention once more as they broke through the large palms to meet an even odder sight before them. Gigantic mushrooms, almost two stories high, all clumped together like a little forest of their own.

"Enormous fossilized mushrooms." Damian commented with an unimpressed look.

"You mean humongous fungus?" Dick added with a smile. There was no need to panic yet.

They rounded the large cloud shaped fungus, looking about in awe when something caught Tim's eye. Makeshift stairs leading into what seemed like a hollow one, as if someone was living inside.

"Hey! Here!" He called to the others, leading them to the sight.

Tim climbed the rickety stairs, entering the open fossilized room inside. Although appearing to be nothing more than empty in the light, a wooden desk could be made out in the center and hammocks hanging in the back. A hand rail seemed to head into another separate room, various gear and supplies hanging from the walls as if someone was still living there.

Damian lingered outside, looking through the palms at the distance ahead. A small path looked forced through. Slipping away he headed to investigate as Jason and Dick followed Tim up.

"Someone lived here?" Jason asked, looking up at the odd amber glowing ceiling.

"Not just someone, Liedenbrock did. Look at all this gear, all this, state of the art a century ago."Dick stated, flipping through some blank pages on the desk.

Tim pulled one of the satchels down, rummaging through it to see what might have been left behind. A small dusty notebook fell, thudding against the hard floor. The crusty pages fluttering as if they had been water damaged somewhere along the way.

Flipping through, he opened to a highly detailed and carefully drawn map of the very area in which they stood.

"According to this, it looks like on the other side of those trees there's some kind of underground ocean." He placed the notebook on the table for them to see. Dick opened the novel and flipped through, turning to a picture of a dangerous looking wave taking on a small raft.

Tim eyed the handwriting.

"I don't think that's Liedenbrock's." Jason murmured.

"It's my Uncle's."

Damian made his way back to the tall shroom, a delicate frown on his features at what he discovered.

"Grayson? You all may want to see this!"

The three older bats looked out the window to see the smaller boy pointing down a path made within the palm trees just beyond. Exchanging a worried look with Dick, Tim made his way out followed by Jason. Dick snatched the small notebook that belonged to Christopher Drake and lingered behind, scouring the pages for what he might have said about their whole situation.

As they approached, Damian didn't say anything, just pushed an old water bottle in Tim's hands. It looked plastic, but covered in what almost came across as volcanic ash. The younger boy appeared to have wiped some away on the top of the lid, revealing black sharpie underneath.

 _Christopher._

The truth now seemed more real than any of them wanted to believe. Liedenbrock fell from their minds as they accepted with sickening hearts that the man they were after had been here.

Tim's shoulders shrunk, pulling away from the group as he gritted his teeth. He knew that what waited was no doubt nothing of good news, and he yearned to ignore the waiting disaster. The detective could feel the eyes of the others on him as he clutched the small bottle in his pale hands.

Turning to the path just ahead, he opted to go alone to see what Damian had discovered.

The bush didn't make it clear that there had been a path here, but subtle hints in the dirt gave it away. He made his way through the underbrush; the young detective came to a stop at a large crevice in the ground. As he crouched upon the ledge, resting his hand, he looked down. Something appeared to glint in the grass beside him.

Tim reached out and picked up an old flashlight, in the same condition as the water bottle. Its position nearly on top of the deadly drop sealed the fate in his mind.

So that was that.

"Tim?" Dick asked, climbing through the ferns. Jason and Damian seemed to have stayed behind.

"I never got the chance to know him," The younger frowned, still crouched at the cliff. "I mean, I wish I did."

Reaching out, Dick placed a hand hesitantly on the younger's shoulders. The years that had passed between them since Damian's arrival seemed to make any form of affection sour as Dick rested his chin on his head. Tim's unruly mop of hair tickled his nose, bleakly reminding him of how much they had been through over the past few _hours,_ much less years. To think just this morning everything had started off as a glorious day to end up here.

He could feel Tim pulling away after a few moments to look down the cliff edge. As usual, the kid had a knack for hiding his emotions the best he could. A bad habit he had gotten from Bruce that Dick never got the chance to break. It made him somewhat sick to think this is how he had been the first days he had heard of Kon and Stephanie's deaths. Cold and calculating, keeping the rage and pain underneath his mask and only breaking when he was alone.

"You know, he wrote something I want you to hear." Dick broke the silence, letting Tim go further from his remaining grasp as he reached for the old notebook. Flipping through, he opened to a page not far from where the writing abruptly ended.

" _July 19_ _th_ _, 1997."_ He began catching his attention.

" _Today was my nephew, Timothy's, first birthday-_

' _Six weeks ago I promised myself I would be home in time to give him his first book. 'A Journey to the Center of the Earth', by Jules Verne. To remind him to always dream of the impossible._

' _Now I'm worried I may never get the chance._

' _I set out to make an incredible discovery to share with Jack and the world. But now, I would trade it all-"_ Dick paused, catching only a small glance at Tim's face. It was frozen stone.

" _Just to be able to watch you grow up to be the brave and caring man I am certain you will become._

' _Happy Birthday Timmy,_

' _Uncle Christopher."_

His companion said nothing as he finished the small piece, shutting the notebook carefully. The only response was a small tremor that went through from his shoulders, and Dick only frowned more. There had once been a time when he remembered the kid showing a range of emotions to him with little consequence. He was almost used to this silent treatment now.

Dick pushed the pages into his hands, ruffling the ebony locks with a watery smile, almost praying he would get some sort of rise from the younger. When he pulled away, Dick resigned to his acceptance unhappily. Tim would do nothing, and if that's what he choose to do than he would sit quietly and let him do it.

Crossing his legs, the older let time pass as Tim looked into the depths below. The book lay forgotten in his lap.

* * *

 _Jeez I hope that was alright. I was afraid of being cheesy!_

 _Reviews are an enormous help._


	8. How to Build a Raft

_IT'S BEEN TOO LONG I'M SO SORRY! I'M WRITING OVERTIME I PROMISE! EXPECT MORE TO COME!_

 **This chapter playlist: Building the Raft  
** www. youtube dot com / watch?v=sL7ekUNKSi0&list=PL7956D0F09A1AB992&index=3

 **Quick shout out to:** _Guest, Cobwebbs, Pinkbat7941, and Guest_ Thank you! I wouldn't have updated otherwise!  
 **Pinkbat7941:** Hahaha, Thank you! I'm updating now like a loser! Don't cry! DONT GIVE ME TIM'S PUPPY EYES NOOOOO  
 **CobWebbs:** Jason is killing me hahaha, and yes...I feel so bad about Tim. The poor thing. Here's my long overdo update!  
 **Guest:** Oh, I have plans for the sequel ;)

* * *

Chapter Eight: How to Build a Raft

"According to Drake's journal, we're in this giant air pocket that's surrounded by lava and during periods of intense seismic activity-"Damian read aloud, his infamous scowl placed delicately in place. Eyebrows furrowed in concentration, the youngest sat propped in a makeshift chair precariously tipping it away from the table.

The four had all relocated inside the small hut, where it seemed safest to be. Jason and Tim had taken the hammocks, strung across the room between the roots of the wall whilst Dick accompanied Damian at the table. The air was growing thick like syrup; the humidity high enough to rival even the hottest places located near the equator.

It wouldn't have been as alarming if small little earthquakes hadn't increased over the small amount of time they had been there.

"Like the intense readings the sensor caught on to right now." Jason clarified, cutting the boy off without qualm, collapsing back into the hammock. His combat boots scraped the floor as he achieved this, leading to a few half-hearted glares.

"Yes Todd," Damian snorted. "The magma that encompasses the very pocket of air we inhabit will eventually figuratively turn this place into a big oven."

"The very conditions that brought the magma up through the cracks..." Tim winced, recalling with very vivid detail the abandoned possessions of his uncle on the very cusp of one of those cracks.

"It looks like Christopher was planning an escape." Dick changed the subject gently, flipping through the pages of another journal. "His notes say that temperatures down here can easily hit two hundred degrees Fahrenheit."

Jason shot back up.

"The average human can't live past one hundred thirty-five."

Damian rummaged about in his bag, eventually pulling out a small device. A thermometer, he turned the screen around so that it faced the others. The digits showed a rather alarming sight.

"It's currently 92 degrees; it was only 80 when we arrived in this location. According to my calculations, we have about forty-eight hours before we're boiled alive."

"Excellent. That'll be a new experience." Jason muttered sarcastically, his whole aura giving off a rather exasperated mood. Tim scowled from his place perched above him, the humor far gone about Jason's continuous death omens. Flinging out of the hammock, he landed neatly on the floor and made his way over to the table where the other two sat.

"What _exactly_ did he say?"

Dick snatched the journal up once more, having thrown it to the side previously, and began to search through the several pages before finding it once more.

" _My analysis on the original Verne text leads me to believe that across the ocean due North to my current location is a geyser-like river which could be used to return to the surface,"_ Dick motioned out towards the direction referred. "We could utilize the geyser to hitch a ride topside like a rocket."

"Top side sounds good." Jason added, heading over.

"Tt, it's trickier than it sounds Todd." Damian scoffed, pulling out the journal from Dick's hands. "Drake makes this sound simple, but with the heat rising as fast as it is down here that water we need will evaporate. No water, no ride to the surface."

"Meaning that forty eight hour time period gets considerably shortened." Tim sighed.

"So the question then becomes, how do we get across to the river the fastest? Going around the ocean would take too much time." The oldest scoured the journal, having taken it back from the youngest Wayne.

Tim suddenly leaned over Jason, grabbing the book and flipping through at an incredible speed.

"Verne answered that." Tim exclaimed, slapping the book down before them opened to a particular page. The same picture Dick showed before of the ocean was displayed. This time, however, Tim pointed at the small raft in the center.

"We can't trust that old-"

" _Demon_ , I _swear_ I will punch you _in the face_ if you make one more comment about this all being impossible. Because if you haven't noticed _we are in the center of the fucking Earth,"_ Jason snarled.

"Well, this ought to be a fun bonding activity," Dick tried nonetheless.

None of the others looked so impressed.

Thus the long and grueling work began. As the temperatures continued to rise, the four brothers began to become attached to their water bottles, and pushing up shirt sleeves. Taking what was available from the ferns and undergrowth, they built to the best of their abilities.

Damian tasked himself with noting the temperature, informing the other's with each degree it changed. Otherwise, most of them spoke very little, trying to keep from arguments breaking out between them. It was a miracle they had gotten all to this point in one piece.

The youngest' rope had been commandeered; and they all stopped for a single granola bar, but eventually the pieces of a raft began to come together.

"Don't we need a center mast?" Dick frowned, looking at the notes again. He had stopped for a short break whilst the others continued on their own projects.

"No," Tim shook his head, pushing a strand of hair off his forehead. He adjusted two structured poles on either side, snatching Damian's locks and attaching them to the top as he spoke. "The wind we want is up there, _thermal_. It's a lot faster than what we got down here."

"Therefore in replacement of a mast, attaching this sheet to the remaining rope flying it above in a kite formation will move us significantly faster," Damian explained, wiping his forehead. "Ninety-nine degrees." He added checking the thermometer.

Placing a pencil in his mouth, Dick flipped a page in the journal and continued reading. In the middle of navigation plans, he reached over and picked up Tim's compass.

"Tim?"

"What?"

"It says I'm looking South right now, and that's supposed to be North" Dick commented spinning around. "Now it says I'm facing North but that's South!"

"Tt, Grayson. Logically the polarity down here is reversed. Thus North _is_ South and South _is_ North on a compass."

Dick blinked.

"We need to head due North thus we need to head-"Tim gestured for Dick to finish.

"South?"

"Exactly."

"The wind is picking up!" Jason called over to them. He was gripping one side of the rope kite they had crafted. Tim grabbed the other end whilst Damian secured the last of everything on the raft.

Dick grabbed the large white sheet and held it out above his head.

"Ready?"

" _Fuck,_ let's get a move on Dickiebird."

The oldest chose to ignore the jab, thrusting their transportation upwards with a large burst of wind, watching as it floated forwards a few feet before beginning to rise steadily upwards. The whole raft lurched forward, suddenly taking off; the ropes in Jason and Tim's hands began to whip through. Had they not been wearing gloves, they would have gotten rope burn for sure.

"There it goes!" The oldest cried in joy.

For once things were really beginning to look up.

The raft moved a good pace, pulling them far from shore, and eventually bringing them out into the middle of the sea. Rich pink clouds reflected hazily off the stalagmites the created the sky far above, slowly fading and becoming darker as a massive storm began to form before them.

"You seeing those clouds?"Jason muttered to Dick, attempting not to alert Tim or Damian to how worrisome the situation was becoming.

The two sat at the back of the raft, Dick maneuvering the craft whilst Jason kept an eye on the ropes that held their sail together. Dick had been harboring some growing tension at the storm coming their way, but hearing Jason put is to words made it sound so much worse.

"I'm afraid we're going to be facing some rough waters ahead."

"This in the book?"

"Let's not," Dick murmured only loud enough for Jason to hear as Tim turned to look at them suspiciously, no doubt already understanding what they were discussing.

"The current is already pushing us in the direction we want to go," He called over to them, "Perhaps we should lower the kite."

Damian now turned to join the conversation, having already observed and assessed the growing situation.

"Unsuitable to the current temperature, its 102 degrees. We cannot afford to waste any more time, our only option is to leave it up," He explained.

The other three exchanged uncomfortable glances, but none of them were willing to challenge the youngest with all their lives on the line. They left the sail up, and the storm only continued to grow and get darker.

The rain started only five minutes later.

Then the thunder and lightning.

"It's just a little storm!" Dick cheerfully announced from underneath the jacket he held above his head. Tim and Jason huddled under another, whilst Damian kept watch on the water. "Ain't no big deal."

As much as the others wanted to believe him, they couldn't find it within themselves to do so.

From his place at the front, the youngest suddenly turned and looked at the others quite horrified.

" _There's something moving down there."_

* * *

 _PHEW,_ It's been too long! _Review? I'll respond again, I promise!_

 _More to come by the weekend!_


	9. Strike! Batter Fish!

_See? I promised by the end of the weekend you would have another chapter!_

 **This Chapter Playlist:  
** www. youtube dot com /watch?v=FlYrRJJ_z-M&list=PL7956D0F09A1AB992&index=11

 **Quick Shoutouts To:** _PinkBat7941_ and _Artemis Goldborogh_

 _I gotcha fam, here's your update!_

* * *

Chapter Nine: Strike! Batter Fish!

"It's probably just phosphorous and plankton! Same thing we saw back at the beach!" Dick explained, not too concerned as the wind picked up around them making it hard to carry his voice. Yet it was Tim who seemed a little more panicked with the fact out of all of them, it was _Damian_ that looked worried.

Tim leaned over the edge to see what Damian had been getting at, noticing how Jason too was starting to back off from the edge. The water was distorted from the waves, but the youngest was definitely right, something rather large was moving just below the surface.

"I don't know Dick, it looks kind a big to be plankton." Tim attempted to warn.

"Tim, we're not at SeaWorld, please back off a little bit."

Dick was starting to notice that the others were right, but he was trying his best to ignore it. Last thing he wanted was for all of them to panic.

But Tim didn't listen; instead he leaned even more over the edge in attempts of identifying what was lurking under the surface.

"It's some kind of fish," He called to the others.

It was then that a large, jagged toothed fish came flying out of the water and nearly took Tim out. It hurdled past him nearly slamming into Jason on its way to the other side of the raft. A few collective screams erupted from them all as the creature disappeared back into the depths of the water.

Before any of them could recover or comprehend what exactly had just happened, another flew from the other side, coming straight at Jason. His eyes widened almost comically as he caught the horrifying beast just as its teeth snapped mere centimeters away from his nose.

The reaction also caused him to back up and run into Dick, causing them both to fall over into the edge of the raft.

The fish flopped about, still in the younger of the two's hands, its sharp teeth clicking as it opened and closed its mouth in an attempt to bite the two boys. Dick gave his most manly scream before kicking it out of his hands and sending it back into the water.

Tim and Damian backed up together as the number of fish increased, all of them jumping in and out of the water in a swarm about the raft.

Dick scrambled back to his feet, leaving Jason still stunned on the floor as he reached for a long piece of splintered wood and tossed it to Damian. The youngest caught it with ease.

"Hey, Dami, told you we would hit the batting cage!"

" _Tt_!"

Tim reached for Damian's bag, searching desperately inside before pulling out a collapsible Bo staff. The kid certainly was prepared for anything. Expanding it, he barely had time to spin and swat another of the creatures away from Jason as he still attempted to stand.

" _Holy Shit!"_ Jason snapped, finally regaining his feet.

"You're welcome!" Tim called over the sounds of the storm. Jason turned, yanked the staff from his hands and swung.

Tim barely had time to duck before the sound of the weapon hitting another sea creature was heard.

It was then a curious jingle began to sound over the sounds of their fight and the increasing wind.

"Do you hear something?" Dick asked, temporarily pausing to look about the raft for the sound in confusion. The three others, still caught up with trying to survive, didn't acknowledge him right away.

"It's Damian's cell phone!" Tim snapped.

Damian swung once more before reaching into the pocket of his jacket and pulled out his mobile, the caller I.D. identifying the very person none of them wanted to talk to given the circumstances.

 _Father_.

Damian received the call despite the protests of the others.

"Father?!"

" _Damian? I think we have a bad connection."_

"Father, I cannot hear you!"

"Hang up!" Jason snapped, still swinging. "Hang up the phone before he figures out something's wrong!" The older nodded along, silently, definitely not wanting to have the wrath of the Bat on them.

" _Where are you?"_ Bruce barked, into the device.

"Uh…" Damian glanced at the rest of the Waynes, noting the little progress they were making about getting through the demon fish infested waters. "Grayson took me and Drake…" Adding Todd would raise more suspicions.

A fish landed on one of their supply crates behind Drake, resting for a second before opening its mouth once more in a vicious manner. Damian watched slightly horrified as Drake was backing up right into its mouth, his rear end about to receive a rather nasty greeting.

"…Sort of on a fishing trip!" Damian answered, looking desperately around for a solution. "Uh… _uh…"_ The boy repeated catching Jason's attention.

" _Are you having fun?"_ Bruce's voice on the other line sounded very skeptical.

Jason reached out and grabbed the beast by its tail, holding it up.

"Oh, _no_ , you don't!" He snapped, swatting it back into the crashing waves, just as Tim turned in confusion.

"Uh, Grayson just got a really big one!" Damian commented as another fish flew and snatched the phone from Damian's grip, its teeth catching on his hand and scratching the skin deeply. It would seem the conversation was over.

"Dami! You know how to switch hit?" Dick called, holding one in his hands.

The youngest hoisted the stick once more, poised and ready to hit. Dick tossed the beast, and with an impressive swing the ten year old sent the thing flying.

"Look out!" Jason suddenly called, looking over Damian's shoulder at a gigantic wave that was beginning to form just off the side of the raft.

"Tt, I can _handle_ it Todd," The boy snapped turning instead to find a large head about twice his height erupt from the surface and come crashing down at his feet; one of the toothed fish in his jaws. Stumbling with his balance from surprise, Damian's hands swung wildly about as he attempted to not fall in the water.

Tim leapt forward, grabbing the hood of his jacket and pulled him back as the four of them crashed into the center of the raft.

" _What the hell was that?_ " Jason's cursing arose.

"Keep away from the sides!" Dick called to them. "They don't want us! They want the fish!"

Tim separated himself from the dog pile they had formed, observing the large long-necked prehistoric beasts take control of the waters. Fumbling to his feet, he grabbed one of the lines to the sail and began to bark orders over his shoulder to the others.

"Jason! You get the tiller, we'll hold the line! Dick, you hold the slack! Jason, you want us to go starboard!" He commanded, taking control.

" _What?!"_ Jason called from the back.

" _That way!"_ Tim snapped exasperated, thrusting his hand towards the right of the raft and towards the open waters. He turned to Dick, who was pulling on the slack; straining against the weight. "Let it out gently, _slowly._ " He reminded the older.

"We're pulling clear!" Damian announced. "Drake's actually _handling it_."

"That's what I've been trying to tell you for years!" Tim huffed, glancing over towards the youngest in a disgruntled manner.

At that, a flash of lightning cracked against the sky, illuminating the darkened sky and a snap was heard from one of the ropes. The line that Dick held suddenly flew through his grip, causing the older to let go from the rope burn that slashed across his fingers with a pained yelp.

"Dick!" Tim yelled, turning to see him and letting go himself.

The lines, no longer held back, began to fly wildly through the knots and hooks they had built.

"The lines!" Damian cried, rushing to grab the closest one. Jason and Tim focused on pulling up Dick not noticing the actions of the youngest.

He clenched one rope tightly in his fist, glancing over at the other that was about to completely break free. Reaching out as far as he could, Damian stretched to grab the second line, the line slipping into his hands without fail.

Jason looked up first.

" _Don't do that!"_ Jason snarled flying to his feet as the two lines ripped from their constraints, releasing their hold to the raft. The youngest was now the only thing holding the sail from flying away. The wind from the storm picked up, filling the sail once more and without warning, the ropes became taught and Damian was lurched into the air.

" _Damian!_ " Dick and Tim both yelled respectively as they rushed towards the edge to grab him.

It was Jason who got hold first, grabbing the boy around the waist just as his feet got lifted, but the strength of the sail was more than he was expecting.

Next thing either of them knew, Jason and Damian went hurdling up from the raft into the storm, clutching the sail as a poor makeshift parasail. Leaving a horrified Tim and Dick still on the edge looking up at them, neither of them knowing quite what to do.

" _Don't let go_!" Dick screamed into the storm at them. " _Hold on_!"

Tim clutched the remaining fragments of the broken mast as he watched the two slowly disappear into the unyielding storm.

" _Fuck!"_ Jason's voice echoed through the wind.

* * *

 _Cliffhanger? Review to end the suffering!_


	10. Prehistoric Poison Ivy

_I know! This is really late! I'm home now, and unpacking since I just moved. But, exams are over! I can now dedicate more time to write!_

 _Shout out to:_

 _Nightwingsass: Thank you! They went really well!  
Saevitis: Glad I made you laugh! ;)  
Guest: An Author must accept their role as a mean person...I mean *ahem* Here's the next chapter! :D  
SHL3: Dude, I couldn't wait to write that phone convo with Damian and Bruce haha. Oh man, when Bruce finds out...x(  
PuppyProngs: Yes, Jason and Damian, oh man. I'm glad I got a curve ball in! Hmmmm. Around the World in 80 Days? I like the sound of that...;)  
PinkBat7941: But I must! The cliff hanger must exist! hahahaha!_

 _No music this time around._

* * *

Chapter Ten: Prehistoric Poison Ivy

Jason awoke with a start, feeling the grit of sand press against his skin. Staring confusingly at the white beach before him, he chanced a look to his left.

" _Holy shit!_ "

The dead carcass of a fish lay beside him, its teeth mere inches from his face. The hallow eyes of the beast seem to be mocking him as it lay innocently there.

Grunting, Jason perched himself up on his elbows, his joints protested in pain. The crash must have really done a number on him.

Propping himself up on his elbow, Jason chanced another glance around to see the deserted beach he had landed on. Fish carcasses and dead seaweed had been washed onto the shore from the vicious storm. Pockets of water surrounded him scattered about.

Tasting a bit of the water, he spat it back out in disgust as he discovered the salty texture. Last thing he needed to do was dehydrate himself with salt water.

Standing up, he spun around slowly to observe the ocean behind him. The horizon was a brilliant luminous pink, but the black storm clouds still lingered close. In front there was a gigantic rock structure, forming a flat wall; as if he was looking at the Grand Canyon from down below.

"Damian?" He called out, realizing with a jolt that he had not been alone. "Damian!"

The wreckage of the sail was scattered across the beach. If the demon child was anywhere, he had to be close by.

" _Helloo?_

"Will you quit your mindless yapping Todd?" An irritated voice finally responded, causing the older to turn and see the young boy standing haughtily in a small crevice that lead through the large rock formation.

"You could have answered me the first time you _little-_ "

"We don't have time for your useless babbling, in case you haven't noticed, I was attempting to pinpoint our location to map our direction from here to meet with Grayson and Drake," He held up a compass to further make his point.

"Well then, where are we?" Jason snapped, pushing up the sleeves to his leather jacket.

"If we head in this direction, we should only be a few hours from the geyser. On the way look for fresh water, _I'll_ lead."

Jason reached out and grabbed the back of his jacket, yanking him back.

"Nah-uh, no way little demon, _I'm_ going to lead."

Damian turned with a dark glare, one that can only rival that of his father's.

"If we're going to make it to that geyser before we burn alive Todd, then we need to agree; and after your previous navigation skills, I wouldn't even _consider_ the possibility of you leading."

"Us? _Agree?_ That'll be the day." The older snarled.

0o0

Dick and Tim pulled the raft ashore and immediately began to call out for the two missing companions. From where they landed on the beach, it appeared that no one had been there. _Quite literally._

"Jason?" Tim called out, the sound only echoing off in the distance. "Damian?"

Dick was a little ahead, attempting to climb up a large sand dune towards the distance.

"We'll find them Timmy, don't worry about it."

The youngest instantly scowled, the nickname not appreciated. He wasn't _worried_ ; they could handle themselves just fine. It was the time constraints that were killing him…and the awkward tension that Dick was creating by pretending that everything between them was fine. _When it was clearly not_.

"Okay," He said instead, choosing it best to avoid further conflict. He leaned over and grabbed a handful of sand; tossing it into the air, he watched the direction it flew in.

"The wind must have blown them this way, are we still heading 'North'?"

Dick paused, as if he could tell that each word the youngest said was forced, but chose instead to keep his mouth shut. If Tim didn't want to talk about it, he would have to pull his teeth in order to have a conversation, and that didn't sound very pleasant.

"Yeah, still North."

"Damian's a smart kid, he knows the plan," Tim affirmed offhandedly, "And Jason has had the experience of worse situations. They'll both be fine."

Dick let a small smile cross his features.

"You really think so?"

Tim raised a confused eyebrow.

"Of course I do, I keep tabs on them just in case. I've never had to interfere before; I doubt they would need me too now."

The oldest Wayne blinked, _keeping tabs?_ Since when did Tim start doing that? In fact, since when did Tim show interest in the rest of them after…? Well, after he had screwed up?

"You keep in touch with Jason?" Was all he said instead.

"Let's find that river."

Tim passed him, scrambling up the sandy side heading north. Dick waited for him to get ahead a bit before following hesitantly behind.

How much had he missed since he had appointed Damian as Robin?

They continued on foot for what felt like several miles, the heat only steadily climbing till it was barely manageable. Tim was starting to slow, and Dick was getting worried with his labored breathing. He wasn't quite sure, but something didn't seem to be right about the teenager.

Just as they passed some large rock formations, they entered an odd little alcove amongst the rock formations. Large vegetation inhabited the area, an eerie atmosphere beginning to develop. The garden reminded them of Poison Ivy's dangerous abodes.

At this point, Dick had let Tim do his thing, but as they entered the foliage, he reached out and snatched Tim's backpack aiming to take it off him.

The teen turned immediately, a dark look on his face.

"What are you doing?"

"Easing the load; let me take that for a bit. You're looking a little ill."

" _I'm fine,_ " The younger immediately got defensive. "Dick, stop."

"Let me take it for a bit, just sit a minute," Dick insisted, steering him by the handle of his load to the nearest rock within the garden.

"Talk to me."

" _No,_ " Tim snapped, "We don't have time, the temperature is rising and the last thing we need to do is stall."

"It's not stalling, it's clearing the air. Look, I know things have been… well, rough, since I invited Damian to take the cowl but-"

"Absolutely not, we're _not_ talking about this right now, Dick. This is the worst _possible_ time you could have brought this up. Let's save this for a time where we aren't _trying to survive._ "

"See, that's just it Tim! We're always trying to survive, and when we're not, you're never around. More importantly, let's be honest with ourselves for a minute. This particular situation may not be one we're going to make it out of."

Dick's face showed no amusement like it normally held, only a seriousness that came from a few years of playing he Batman. Tim knew there was no getting out of this conversation this time. He had to do something.

Clenching his fists, he released a sigh.

"Dick, the reason I cannot continue this conversation right now is because I _can't_. The atmosphere and the temperature is making me really sick, and my immune system can't fight it as well as it used too."

The older frowned, glancing cautiously at the teen. The way his voice waivered clued him in that whatever the next thing to come out of his mouth was something really bad.

"During the months I spent searching for Bruce, I lost my spleen."

Dick blinked.

"You…lost your _spleen?_ What-when? _Why did you never say anything? Timothy Jackson-_ "

"It's 115 degrees Dick."

Abruptly cutting off, the oldest checked the thermometer, only to see that he was right. As much as he wanted to get answers from him, he was literally only making the situation worse. Giving him a look that told him this wasn't going to be the end of this discussion; he dug around in one of the bags for the last water bottle and handed it to him.

"Drink this."

"Is that the last of the water?"

"Yeah," He nodded, motioning for Tim to go ahead as he continued to rummage around.

"We're going to need that, keep it."

Tim handed the bottle back with a shake of his head, but thought better of his decision when he met the steely blue eyes of his older adopted brother. Letting out an exasperated sigh, he popped open the cap.

Dick looked up, satisfied that he had one this small victory if nothing else when something in his peripheral vision caught his eye. What looked like a man sized Venus fly trap was _moving._

The plant was turning, its mouth opening as long cilia hairs grew in a threatening manner.

" _Duck!"_ Dick commanded, praying that Tim's instincts alone would tell him not to hesitate as he pulled an Escrima stick on the vegetation. The hit was hard enough that the stem broke in two and the top half went flying to the ground at their feet.

Tim jumped up, the water placed to the side as he stared in surprise at the turn of events.

" _Large carnivorous plants?_ You've got to be joking; Poison Ivy would have a field day."

The younger turned to see why Dick was being so uncharacteristically quiet; only to meet the sight of the young vigilante straining against several vines wrapped around his neck.

"Dick!" Tim cried out in surprise, reaching for his collapsible Bo staff.

Hitting the first, he ran towards the thickest part of the garden, the prehistoric plants hissing at him. It would have been a lot more ridiculous had Tim not actually done this what feels like a thousand times before. He could thank a certain female antagonist in his life for how unfazed he was.

No matter how many he hit, their roots seemed to only tighten around Dick.

Switching a small mechanism on his staff, a small blade came out from the end and he aimed for the base of the stem that was clinging on to the older.

The plant gave its equivalent vegetation screech, snapping at him. Tim ducked, disgusted when a clear liquid flowed from its mouth where he had stabbed it. Digging his staff deep into where the plant stuck to the ground, he uprooted it and twisted the staff to pin it to the dirt underneath.

The roots finally released Dick.

"We're even, right?" Tim smirked, leaning on his staff as he watched the older clutch the bruised areas with a frown.

"Who's keeping track?" Dick sighed wearily.

* * *

 _But alas, what is happening with Jason and Damian? Will Tim and Dick find them? Will they all get out in the end?_

 _Will I deviate from the plot of the movie?_

 _Will I stop asking questions? Yes. Sorry I was so late in updating!  
Leave a review for more! _


	11. Jason Todd's Second Death

_Peeks around the corner uncomfortably._

 _Uh, hello. I know. It's been...over a year. But I read this on a whim today and I was like...this is so good. Why did I stop? So I wrote the next chapter and I'm going to keep going after I publish this and finish this bitch. Pardon my French._

 _Thank you to EVERYONE that has been begging for more and and update. HERE IT IS!_

 _This is it. Let's do this._

 _And uh, Sorry Jason._

* * *

Chapter Eleven: Jason Todd's Second Death

They had been wandering for what felt like hours, in what they hoped was the same direction as Dick and Tim.

To save themselves the trouble of further verbal and perhaps even physical disagreements, Damian and Jason had chose the best course of action was to remain silent and to walk side by side. This way, neither of them could be considered as 'leading'.

It wasn't long before they came across a large cavern in the rocks that were eerily quiet and equally intimidating.

"You think Grayson and Drake know to meet us at the Geyser?" Damian suddenly spoke up, grabbing the older bat's attention.

It was an unusual tone for the younger Wayne, as it was laced with hints of worry that Todd had yet to hear. He frowned, not sure if he was really capable of providing any form of emotional support, especially to a kid whose dad rivaled the dictionary definition of emotionless.

"Dick and Tim are smart, especially the replacement. If it had been anyone else, I might have been worried, but I'm confident that those two will figure it out on their own. They were a good team back in the day. Just...don't tell 'em I said that."

Damian frowned.

Jason could tell there was still something on his mind, but whatever was bothering him he seemed even more reluctant to share than ever.

Tossing one of Damian's many over packed granola bars to the kid; Jason did his best imitation of a relaxed and collected adult in the situation. It was rather humorous, he thought, that they should have ended up together and not Dick and Damian. This was perhaps the longest he had ever been in the presence of Bruce's legitimate son. Or perhaps, illegitimate. He didn't keep tabs on the specifics.

"Besides, we have other things to worry about, like _ourselves_ getting to the geyser," He tried to lighten the mood.

It was at that moment, and Jason swore it was the universe telling him a lovely _fuck you_ for trying, he tripped over an enormous crack residing in the ground.

Falling in a collection of dignified grunts and curse words, Jason Todd found himself sprawled on the floor looking at a rather curious sight before him. His lighter had slipped out of his pocket and was now swinging in the air back in forth before his eyes.

" _Tt_ , I don't know which is worse," Damian started, coming to a halt beside him. "The fact that you have proven to be the clumsiest fool of a vigilante on this trip, or the fact that you smoke _despite_ your protests of not wanting to die."

"Live a little," Jason snapped, reaching out and tapping the lighter in awe.

Damian snorted once more, and proceeded to pull out his compass.

"That's odd," He frowned.

Jason shook his head.

"Damn, I don't like it when you say things like that. They almost always lead to something I most certainly don't want to hear. And I've heard enough of that today to last the rest of this current life span."

He could almost physically feel the exasperation rolling off the kid in waves, and it gave him a small but satisfying feel of contentment.

"The compass is swinging about identical to your lighter, we must be standing in a particularly strong magnetic field."

Jason scowled.

"And what does that mean? Magnetic fields don't sound terrifying."

He decided _not_ to add the word 'yet' to his statement.

"That's because it's _not_ terrifying Todd," Damian sniped. "We should keep going. We don't want the water to completely evaporate while you're staring dumbfounded at a simple display of physics."

Jason snapped to his feet, pocketing his token and immediately started to walk again.

It was then that he became aware of the abnormal echoing sound of objects bumping into one another _from beneath_ their feet.

Pausing, the older of the two looked down beneath his boots to get a better look at the surface only to see a loose rock right where he was about to place his foot. Tapping it, the ground gave way and instead of the rock sinking like he expected, it sunk and moved to the side revealing what was underneath.

A drop of almost the same distance as they had fallen to get there.

"Magnetic rocks," Damian pointed out, reaching down and picking one up. "That's what's keeping us up right now."

"Alright, magnetic field is starting to sound a little terrifying. Especially since we don't know how strong these rocks are," Jason frowned stepping away from the hole. "Maybe we should circle around and see if there is another place for us to go."

Damian shouldered his bag.

"We don't have time. Its 117 degrees. We have to keep going this direction."

Jason followed Damian's line of sight, looking upon a line of floating rocks that led across the same chasm he had just looked down into.

"Nope, there is no way, kid. We have more of a chance surviving looping back."

But he could already see it was a lost cause.

"Just follow my lead, Todd," Damian barked, walking to the edge and looking down at the river far below.

"No-don't!"

But Damian had already leapt to the first air born rock, landing with graceful ease and was already preparing on moving to the next one.

"Bruce is going to kill me," Jason sighed, stepping out after the devil spawn with distaste. "I'm a dead man walking."

The smaller bat seemed to be moving quickly, from one rock to the next, disregarding caution with confidence. So it came with no surprise when his foot landed to close to the edge and a piece of the rock fell away nearly sending the young teen with it.

" _Quit being a cocky little shit and pay attention_ ," Jason chided with venom, reaching out and grabbing the back of his collar. "I lead, you follow. That way if the weight is too much we'll know _before_."

Damian seemed slightly shaken and nodded, before puffing his chest.

"If you insist," He relented, still trying to hold his head high.

The rock that Damian knocked loose had stopped falling, the magnetic field pulling it back upright, but far lower in altitude.

Jason passed the last few rocks with ease, albeit much slower than the pace the youngest had put in place, leaving the son of the bat to follow from behind.

Jason turned back, to ensure that the youngest was following when he saw the problem.

"Damian-"

"I know!" He snapped realizing the jump was a bit far, but true to his nature he went anyways. The force was enough to propel both him and the rock forwards, and to the dismay of them both the last three rocks the youngest needed were hit and began to float away.

This time the distance far too great for even him to attempt to jump.

The sound of more rocks hitting drew their attention and Jason watched as the rocks they had come over on were already floating away from the force of the youngest leap, leaving him stranded and suspended in mid air.

"Please tell me you have a grappling hook on you."

The look on the Wayne's face told him all he needed to know.

Jason spied one rock just within range.

"Stay there, I'll kick this one out to you, got it?"

He thrust the boulder forwards, and the youngest stood in preparation, his concentration solely focused on the task at hand.

Jumping with grace the current Robin landed smoothly on the rock, propelling his weight forwards in order to get closer to the ledge in which Todd stood.

There was only one small calculation.

The rock began to tip backwards, dipping both itself and its new found occupant backwards towards the plummeting drop below.

"Hang on, demon spawn!"

Gritting his teeth, Damian bit back a reply as he was launched upside down by the spinning surface.

Completing a full 360, he barely got a breath of relief before it tipped back once more, this time forwards and he was thrust back downwards again.

There was a thud, and Damian looked up in surprise.

The rock had attached to the ledge.

"Can't do anything the easy way, can you?" Jason sighed, folding his arms.

The youngest scowled.

"I don't know what you're referring too."

0o0

Having escaped, what Tim suspected to be a rather tame situation for well...the situation, he figured when they finally cleared the ridge and looked down at the large valley below it was a major victory.

Dick on the other hand not so much.

"It's 118 degrees," He wheezed. "We have to be getting close."

"Look," Tim pointed below. "That has to be the river my Uncle wrote about. There's still steam, we're not too late. The geyser must be inside that cave it's trickling into."

Dick looked out over the rocky plateau below.

" _Damian!"_ He screamed cupping his hands over his mouth in order to amplify the sound in a desperate attempt to get some response from the other two. " _Jason!"_

His cries echoed off the rocky cliffs, but no reply came.

Tim watched as distress fell over the acrobat's face, and he threw his bag down in anger.

Pushing a few sweaty strands of hair from his face, Tim lowered his own luggage and took a seat.

"Where are they?" Dick demanded, crouching beside him still scanning the ground below. " _Where. Are. They_?"

Tim paused, lacing his fingers together nervously.

"They'll be here," He breathed. "Damian and Jason have a survivor streak in them."

Dick nodded.

But he didn't look convinced.

"We'll wait for them, as long as we can," Tim sighed. "But we don't have much more time left."

* * *

 _I'm going to finish this damn it. Back to writing I go, but enjoy this gift on me!_

 _Reviews to tell me you're all alive and reading still?_


	12. Haven't You Seen a Dinosaur Before?

_Back at it again with an update._

 _IT'S FINISHED. I FINISHED THIS. It's almost over! Just got to finish editing and updating! How's that for a lovely Tuesday surprise?_

 _Thank you ROB1Nbanks, Guest, Orangesunset12, and Zatannagurl for leaving reviews! Good to know I haven't killed this story yet._

 ** _Here's you soundtrack for this chapter:_**

 ** _www dot youtube dot com /watch?v=56DvCFqnig0_**

* * *

Chapter Twelve: Haven't You Seen a Dinosaur Before?

Damian and Jason finally exited the narrow valley of rocks into a deserted plateau that seemingly stretched on for miles before them. Their pace was slow and grueling, no doubt due to the sand that wedged between their feet and solid ground.

"Drake and Grayson should be within our perimeter, the river can't be too far away according to my calculations," Damian commented, looking at his compass once more.

"You sure about that?" Jason huffed. "Because as far as I can see, there is nothing but dirt and fucking sand. Not likely the place one would expect to see water, much less a river."

Damian crossed his arms, snapping the compass shut with a smart snap.

"I believe we are standing in the center of the Earth, and I _now_ you see fit to correct me with logical assumptions, Todd?"

The older shrugged his shoulders.

"Fair point. But I can't wait to see you try to explain this to the B-man."

Almost comically, the youngest opened and closed his mouth like a fish out of water, trying to find an appropriate yet biting retort.

They continued on their way, trudging through the dead landscape looking for some resemblance of the exit that Christopher Drake had described in his journal, but to no avail. And the far more sickening realization that they haven't seen any signs of life either.

The longer they walked the more their hope appeared to evaporate.

They had just climbed over a sand dune when they came upon an impressive and downright astonishing view. A skull, protruding from the ground, larger than even Jason himself, and the eye socket big enough for Damian to climb comfortably inside.

"Perhaps, when we make it back to the surface, I shall invest some of my free time to read that book," The youngest commented, staring at the bone structure emotionlessly.

"It's not that bad, worth a reread after all this shit, that's for sure. We could provide our own commentary."

"Reread?" Damian questioned, his eyebrows furrowing.

Jason eyed his companion.

"Contrary to popular belief, I read."

It was obvious that the youngest Wayne had a clever reply on his tongue, but before he could state it, he was abruptly cut off by a rumble that reverberated through the ground.

"What was that?" Damian asked, turning his attention towards the noise, a growing prevalent frown emerging.

"Thunder?" Jason offered, but even that didn't sound like something he would want, not after the storm at sea.

The noise sounded once more, this time far deeper in register, and that's when Jason reached out and grabbed Damian's backpack.

"We're not staying to figure it out. Let's move."

Dragging the kid behind him, Jason pushed him up against a protruding piece of rock from the sand that was barely wide enough for the two of them to hide behind.

This time, the sound was far more distinct.

"Todd, there doesn't happen to be a chance your primitive brain remembers the book mentioning what that could be, would it?"

Jason grit his teeth.

"How about you take another good look at the skull, and you tell me."

Damian scowled.

"That is impossible, Todd."

0o0

"I don't see them anywhere," Tim sighed in defeat, throwing his head into his hands and wiping the sweat off his brow.

Dick didn't respond.

"Dick, we have to go. The steam from the river is beginning to fade, we're running out of time," Tim pinched the bridge of his nose reluctantly. He knew a fight would come.

Heaving a deep breath, the older bat reached down and grabbed his bag, hoisting it on his shoulder before turning and heading in the opposite direction.

"Dick? _Dick,_ wait, hey, hold on a minute. What are you doing?" Tim thrust his hand in front of him, effectively bringing him to a stop.

Without a beat, Dick gently pushed his arm away.

"I'm going to go get my brothers?" It came out as a question, as if he couldn't believe he had even had to ask in the first place.

Tim felt his shoulder's sag.

"Tim, _this_ , is all my fault. I brought them into this, because I thought maybe, I could get everyone to get along again."

He shook his head.

"All this time, I thought Damian would come around, and Jason too eventually, given time. But, I never considered the reality that I would need to get back through to you. Before today, I thought we were fine, just a little ice to break. As it turns out, you've been going through a whole lot more behind my back."

"Dick, it's going to take time. One bonding moment isn't going to heal what feels like a life time of mistakes, but there won't be any more if none of us get out. "

The acrobat clutched the strap harder.

"We need to get out to tell the other's what's happened. Think of the people we've left up there. They deserve to know about Damian and Jason."

"You're right."

The detective paused at the easy defeat.

"Go. Save yourself, Tim. This is my responsibility. I would never forgive myself if I let you down again. Bruce will need someone, and you know what to do. Live for the rest of us. Go home."

Tim was shaking his head.

"Don't put the survivor's guilt on me, Dick. Haven't I gone through that enough?"

"Go," Dick nodded towards the river.

"Dick, stop it. I'm not leaving like this, that's not fair. I'll never forgive you."

"Wait as long as you can at the river, but if we don't come, you need to choose yourself for once over the lives of others. Got it? Be selfish this one time. I forgive you."

"Shut up," Tim snapped, pushing against his chest forcibly. "This isn't an option."

"No it isn't, it's what is going to happen. I'm not giving you the choice, Tim. I gave the role of Robin to Damian not because I preferred him over you, but because I knew I could trust you. I trust you now, _go_."

The younger didn't move.

" _Go_ , damn it. Go, Tim. I need you to trust me, one last time."

Reaching down, Tim slowly pulled the bag over his shoulder.

"I'll wait as long as I can," He slowly backed away towards the river. "Don't be late."

Dick nodded.

0o0

Damian slowly pulled away, pressed up against the wall to try to get some type of visual on the source of the graveling noise.

" _Are you stupid?_ Don't move," Jason snapped, yanking him back.

"We don't even know what we're hiding _from_ ," Damian hissed. "And it hasn't made a noise in minutes."

He would have said more if he hadn't been abruptly cut off by what he considered to be one of the top most disgusting things he had ever seen.

Saliva drop to the ground before them.

Jason and Damian stared at it, assessing how not only had it come from directly above them, but it was larger than the size of Jason's head.

Almost hesitantly, the two looked up simultaneously.

Meeting an impressive row of large carnivorous teeth.

As if on cue, more spit slowly dribbled down right onto Jason's awaiting face.

It was inconceivable, but an unfortunate reality that the two bats were staring at a creature anyone normally would have dreamed to see…from a very far distance.

A Tyrannosaurus Rex, alive, well, and very predatory.

There was a heartbeat, and then Damian and Jason were bolting in any direction that would spare them from the beast's mouth slamming into the ground right where they had been standing mere seconds before.

" _You've got to be fucking joking!_ "

"Language!" Jason screamed.

"There! Through there!" Damian pointed to a small crevice in the surrounding rock.

It was their only chance. They couldn't out run the creature, and the sand was only making them slower. Together, they dived into the only safe space available, barely giving them room before the sharp snap of the T-Rex's jaws closed behind them.

But their shielded haven shattered as the dinosaur's head rammed into the rock, breaking enough of it away for its mouth to fit through.

" _This is by far NOT what I had imagined for my second death!"_

"No one logically imagines a Tyrannosaurus Rex would kill them in the modern age!"

The debris was continually falling away, allowing the beast to obtain more and more ground, approaching the two vigilantes in alarming speed.

The teeth snapped shut once more, this time nearly at their toes. Their backs were pressed up against the wall, and there was nowhere for them to turn. They were truly and utterly trapped.

"At least this is cooler than being killed by the clown freak!"

As the jaws opened for what they assumed to be the last time, a long black escrima stick broke through the surface behind them, creating a large gaping hole between their bodies.

"Grayson!"

"Come on!"

Dick reached through, grabbing Damian and pulling him through the crevice, closely followed by Jason.

Collapsing on the other side of the rock surface, the three of them caught their breaths.

"What took you so long?" Jason exclaimed, clutching his chest.

"Thank God, am I glad to see the two of you!" Dick answered, ignoring the comment as he pulled them both in.

"I'll likely regret saying this later, but the sentiment is greatly returned Grayson."

"Are you both alright?"

"Yeah, we should go!" Jason snapped, pointing over his shoulder. "Don't want to meet what's on the other side, trust me."

"This way, the geyser is right over there!"

The moment of reprieve was over, and it was at that moment the rocks behind exploded, the large dinosaur erupting from within.

" _Run!"_

Jason turned and grabbed Dick by the arm pulling the dumbfounded acrobat behind him as they tore off in the direction of the steaming river.

"Haven't you ever seen a dinosaur before?" Jason cried.

"Not _with flesh_!" Dick screamed.

The three of them ran, backpacks swinging.

"We're not going to make it!" Damian shouted, pulling out a few shurikens.

Dick turned, looking at the landscape that surrounded them, before his eye caught a familiar sight of a dark, glass like reflection not far away.

"What are you doing?" Jason snapped.

"That's muscovite! The same stuff we fell through before, remember? Damian, get its attention over there!"

The youngest Wayne changed directions, taking off after the older bat with the prehistoric creature right on their tails.

"There is no possibility in which this will hold us, Grayson!"

"It won't hold him either! You're going to go with Jason and meet Tim at the Geyser, get out of here now!"

"Dick, _you motherf-_ "

"Grayson, _no_!"

The oldest continued to run, the cracks beginning to form at his feet, but not as fast as they were all hoping for. The T-Rex leaned forward, lunging for its new prey with a vicious vigor, and Dick barely managed to bypass it, only to keep running.

He was nearing the end of the muscovite.

"Dick, its working!" Jason called out, running alongside of the weak structure, pulling Damian off at the last second.

The surface was showing widening stress marks, its base beginning to fracture underneath.

" _Grayson_!"

The muscovite finally gave out, and with a cacophony of screams, both the dinosaur and Dick fell, plummeting down into an unknown abyss that neither Damian nor Jason could see.

* * *

 _A nice long chapter for you. But a cliff-hanger is a must have! Sorry about that._

 _How often do you want updates? I only got two chapters left. You want them in the next two days or do you want me to drag it out? Or a surprise?_


	13. Tim Attempts to Blow Shit Up

_*Sighs* Sorry everyone! I got called into work for a 10 hour shift and Voltron season 3 came out so...I've been distracted. Also this chapter editing was a pain. It wasn't coming as smoothly as I wanted._

 _But alas here it is!_

 _It was originally much longer, but It just didn't feel right. Too much happening, so I cut this chapter in half. The second part will come tomorrow! Promise! (I don't work tomorrow)_

* * *

Chapter Thirteen: Tim Attempts to Blow Shit Up

" _Dick!"_

"Grayson!"

Both vigilantes ran to the edge; desperate to look down below and see some miracle under the shattered muscovite. The bottomless crevice was pitch black, leaving nothing to be revealed as to where the prehistoric beast and Dick landed.

Barely a second had passed when a hand flew up and grasped the ledge, straining from the weight.

"Holy, _shit_."

Jason reached out a hand, looking down to see the triumphant blue eyes of their oldest brother clinging to the edge several feet down below. There were a few grunts as the two struggled to bring him back over and onto his feet once more.

"You are one _lucky_ son of a bitch."

The acrobat smiled, cracking his back in satisfaction; he ruffled a rather displeased Damian's hair in relief.

"I prefer the word talented, but I'll take it," Dick breathed.

Damian pulled away, adjusting the straps on his bag as he looked around the surrounding deserted landscape. There was only one important detail that was missing.

"Where's Drake?"

Heaving a heavy breath, Dick frowned tilting his head towards the river.

"I sent him onwards to the geyser so I could go back for you, hopefully by now he's top side and safe."

Following his line of sight, Jason and Damian observed a small cave. It similar to the one they had nearly almost just died in, and just through the tunnel was an underground part of the river that would lead to their topside ascent.

"Please tell me this river in there is the geyser we've been looking for," Jason sighed, almost afraid to be relieved.

The older bat nodded.

"Only problem is, we need to get to the volcanic tube where the geyser is going to shoot up, and the water is boiling…and we have no boat."

Slowly, the three Wayne's entered the tunnel, looking down at the churning liquid.

"We don't have time to build a boat," Damian shook his head, pulling out the thermometer. "It's approaching 122 degrees. We should have gotten out an hour ago; we likely only have minutes before this water is completely gone."

The three of them peered down into the darkness, desperately trying to think of something that could propel them down to where they needed to be without burning alive.

"I got you covered."

Pivoting on his heel, Dick turned up river to see an astonishing sight.

Tim was standing within the skull of a T-Rex, a large branch in hand as an ore pushing it lazily downstream.

"I thought I told you to go," The acrobat frowned aghast looking at the ingenuity of the younger.

"You also said to wait as long as I could, so that's what I did. Figured you three would need a ride."

He pushed it up against the side, allowing for Jason to reach out and grab the skull by the teeth to stop it long enough for them to climb aboard.

"Never thought I would say it, but thank God the replacement didn't listen to orders for once," Jason mused, giving Tim a rather gleeful look; of which the latter returned with a flat expression.

Pushing off, the skull glided with the direction of the water gathering alarming speed. It was rocky, but for a single moment they thought this was it.

At least, it was for a few seconds before the raft seemingly struck something underneath, causing all four of them to lurch forwards in a daze.

"What was that?" Dick inquired, clinging on the back of Damian's backpack to ensure the other didn't go toppling over, which did not settle well with the youngest.

Despite Dick's protests, Damian grabbed the closest flashlight and leaned over the edge, looking down below.

"It's the river bed! The water is starting the dry up!" He then turned the light forwards and within the illuminated area almost all of them felt their heart's stop.

" _Not fucking again!_ "

"Hold on!" Tim screamed, clutching onto a tooth as the skull sped up once more, following the river to a drop only a mere few feet away.

"This ride is about to get a little-bit-!" Dick began, but it was too late.

Banging hard against the walls, it was a miracle, although not seen at the time, that the thing actually made it over the edge at all.

Toppling down, the skull fell colliding with the insides of the volcanic tube and flinging its occupants back and forth. It was a long fall before coming to a stuttering halt as the tunnel got to narrow for it to fit. The abrupt end brought the four heroes off their footing; slamming them into the bottom of their ride without abandon.

" _Bumpy,"_ Dick at last finished his sentence.

"Is everyone alright?" Tim asked, sitting up nursing his head in pain. He noted Jason doing the same from across the way.

"Where are we?" Damian asked, already on his feet looking up towards the dark chasm above.

"Better question, what's that down there?" Dick interrupted, grabbing their attention below.

Orange and ablaze, the bottom of the cavern was illuminated with an ominous glow creeping higher towards them.

"That's lava," Tim sighed.

" _Magma_ ," Damian corrected, beside him, eyeing the light.

"I thought there was supposed to be water in here! Steam, something, _anything_ that's going to propel us upwards," Jason frowned, looking over their shoulders.

"We're too late for the geyser," Tim lamented. "We missed it."

"Well, what are we supposed to do?"

"Do you have any suggestions?" Dick added, clutching the edge of the skull that was slowly starting to warm.

"Well, without any water there's no steam, without any steam we're not going anywhere," Damian snapped, dropping his bag on ground.

"This place looks like there hasn't been any water in here for two or three hours now," Tim nodded, throwing his head back into his hands and brushing a strand of hair to the side.

"But the walls are still wet!" Jason argued.

"That's impossible; it's 130 degrees in here!" Tim barked back, but Damian reached out and punched him in the arm.

"Tt, Drake, behind you!"

Surprised, Tim pivoted to look again at the cave walls to see that they were right. Resting his hands urgently on the stone, he turned back to the other's a glint in his eye.

"It's cold; there must be water behind here! It must be a pocket or an underground river."

Jason looked over the edge once more to see that the magma was still approaching; much faster than anticipated.

"Well, whatever you're thinking, you better do it fast. It's getting closer!"

Tim hopped up on the edge, leaning over to inspect the wall more, reaching out a hand to follow the temperature of the wall. His hand brushed against a crack, causing a few rocks to tumble down below.

"That's magnesium," He breathed, pulling his hand back to inspect it.

Suddenly the bone shifted, lurching its occupants to the side and nearly throwing Tim over the edge.

"We're slipping!" Dick cried.

"Lighters!" Tim erupted suddenly, ignoring him. "How many flares do we still have left?"

Damian turned, reaching for his backpack and beginning to rummage through with fervor.

"Three!" He announced, holding them up towards the older bat.

"What are you going to do with _those_?" Jason barked, grabbing the edge again.

"I'm going to light the magnesium," Tim replied, once more pulling himself over the edge, narrowly missing the teeth. "This time, we're doing it on purpose."

Damian gripped onto the skull as Dick clambered forwards to watch Tim.

Reaching out at arm's length, he thrust the flare into the wall, with every intent that it would ignite.

Only it didn't.

"It's too wet!" Damian supplied, watching as Tim threw it down into the magma below at the failure.

"I got to get further down," Tim commanded motioning to Dick. "Hand me another one, Damian."

"This is suicide!" Jason watched in awe.

Dick flailed, reached forwards grabbing Tim's legs as he lowered himself over the edge of the skull once more, this time much further down than before.

Again, Tim hit the flare into the wall, repeatedly hitting it into the magnesium. But with every attempt, each spark sizzled out upon impact almost immediately.

Pulling him back up, Dick began to shake his head.

"Tim-"

"I got to get lower, Damian tie the rope off."

The youngest snatched the remaining of the rope, looping it around the other's waist as Dick protested. Handing Tim the last flare, he climbed back up on the skull again.

"That's the last one," Jason reminded him, reaching out to help Damian with the end of the rope.

Tim nodded.

Slowly, they began to lower the second youngest down deeper into the chasm, the magma rising only meters away.

But the weight distribution only caused the skull to shift.

Sliding forwards, the three cried out as the skull sunk lower, nearly dropping Tim too close to the radiating heat below.

"How's that?" Dick called, gripping the rope tighter, unable to look over the edge and check on the teen himself.

"A little more!" Tim called, stretching his arm out desperately for the wall before him.

"Now?" Jason called, grunting against the weight. The rope was slowly beginning to reach its full length, and the material was straining on their hands.

"A little more!"

At last, the teen hero reached out once more in attempts to ignite the wall, but after a few attempts it still refused to light. Maintaining the flare's light, Tim searched desperately for any other section of the wall that was usable. It was when he turned, that the teen saw their only chance.

"It's still too wet! I'm going to have to throw it to the other side!"

A beat passed.

" _Replacement if you miss-"_

Concentrating, Tim turned in the harness, flare still in hand as he eyed the strands of magnesium running through the walls on the opposite side of the cavern.

Breathing in, he reached back with all his weight.

Then, he threw it.

* * *

 _Will Tim have his aim right?_

 _Find out tomorrow._

 _Hope this chapter was alright. I edited it twice before this, so I'm hoping it looks good._


	14. You Wanna Slide Again?

_Well, we're about at the end. Only the epilogue after this. I can't believe it, and yet I am so relieved._

 _This chapter was originally part of the previous chapter, but it made it so long, I just felt better splitting it._

 _Thank you for everyone who reviewed, I can't appreciate you enough!_

* * *

Chapter Fourteen: You Wanna Slide Again?

Never before had any of them witnessed the paradox of time slowing down in an intense situation, which was amazing given their line of work. Yet, as the flare flipped through the air it almost appeared as if it was in its own time constraint, lazily swinging forward with momentum, landing neatly on the flammable rock before tumbling down below.

A spark lit up, glimmering against the wall, sizzling as it grew for a second before fizzing out entirely.

" _Shit!_ " Dick cried, still clutching the rope tightly.

" _NO!"_

Staring in defeat, the four felt the inevitable land on their shoulders. They had run out of ideas, and most terrifying of all, ideas.

But then, as if sensing the pressure, there was another spark.

Then another.

Without warning, the rock became ablaze, traveling through the magnesium strands on the wall. It moved at an incredible speed, sending heat and flashes towards the young teen only a mere measly foot away.

Tim's mouth dropped.

"Pull me up, _pull me up!"_

The three bats began to pull on the rope, the magnesium sputtering and rising, giving the indication that they only had seconds before the cave would be a blast zone.

It was ear shattering when the rock finally exploded, allowing for the water trapped behind to burst forth surging into the magma down below.

"Watch the teeth!" Dick cried, hauling his younger brother up back over the edge of the skull.

"Get down! _It's about to blow!_ " Tim screamed, throwing his whole weight into the others as he landed, unceremoniously toppling them down to the floor.

It was steam that hit them first before the water quite literally, for lack of better word, _erupted_.

The geyser nearly hit them as hard as a bullet.

Recklessly, the skull was sent skywards pushing them back with excruciating force. Like a ride in an amusement park, they found themselves flying through the chasm relentlessly. Heads slamming back, none of them could find the energy to fight against the sheer force of the skull's movement.

"It's heating up!" Jason screamed.

"We _know!"_

"Hang on!" Dick added, blindly throwing his hands to the side in some desperate hope of protecting them from the unknown.

"Trust me, we're hanging on!" Tim snapped.

"Is that the sky?" Jason cried a hint of delight, bringing their attention upwards.

A small sliver of blue was fast approaching.

As if a cork popped from a bottle, the skull burst forth plunging into the air without abandon. Their ascent slowed, and for a brief moment they hung suspended in air like a bad cartoon.

Then gravity began to pull them back.

" _Hang on everybody!"_ Dick cried, as they began to speed back up, this time crashing back down to the awaiting ground below.

"Will you _stop saying that_?" Tim screeched.

"It just keeps slipping out!"

With a colossal jolt, the skull slammed into the side of the mountain, still descending down the side with a cacophony of noise. A variety of vines began to catch on the teeth, throwing foliage into their eyes as they flew down towards an inevitable stop.

Branches and twigs snapped, one nearly catching around Damian's neck.

It appeared, against all odds, that they had landed in some sort of grape vineyard.

The fruit flew, exploding amongst them, staining their clothes in a flurry of reds, purples and magentas.

Unable to hold it back any further, Jason began to laugh uncontrollably at the sheer ridiculousness of the predicament they had found themselves in. That is, till several grapes flung into his face to effectively shut him up, causing the others to chuckle.

At last, the skull stopped, nearly launching them all out into a small yard of a petite little vineyard home surrounded by lush green vegetation.

A cloud of dirt and dust settled, revealing the farmer of the home standing aghast at the wreck of his property and the four boys lying within its source of destruction.

"Hey, that's Mount _Vesuvius_ ," Dick realized, standing in awe.

He abruptly turned to the other three, all of which were still sitting dazed in their topside ride.

"If Bruce asked what we did this weekend, you tell him, Dick took you all to _Italy_."

"Italy?" Damian repeated dubious.

Dick pointed at the ten-year-old and nodded in acknowledgement.

" _Sí."_

Before the other two teens could interfere, a rich Italian started from the farmer, crying out with large gestures towards his ruined fruits in their wake. His hands shook with distress, still vegetables in one fist, pointing at them with a vigorous need for some explanation.

" _Uh oh_ ," Tim sighed.

"I got this," Jason stated, pushing his way past them with his backpack on one shoulder. Hoping off the skull, he pulled out a small bag of diamonds, all sizes of ping pong balls or larger.

" _Jason_ ," Dick scolded, stunned.

"What? This started out as a scientific investigation, right? I took a few geological samples."

"A _few_ geological samples?" Tim repeated, taking the bag from him to hold it up in the light. Holding one up, it had to be about the size of his own fist.

"Alright, a few _pounds_ of samples," Jason corrected, completely unconcerned. "What do you expect?"

Even Damian, reluctantly, looked impressed.

Jason turned back to the man, holding out a diamond for the man to take, putting on a terrible accent as he attempted to explain.

"You-take. We are – sorry. _Lo siento_ ," He placed it into the palm of the other man's hands.

"That's Spanish, not _Italian_. You imbecile." Damian scowled.

Jason shrugged.

"They're both Latin based languages."

" _Tt_."

Unaware of the discussion, the farmer thrust the root into Jason's hand holding the rock up to the light to inspect it dumbfounded.

" _Diamante?_ " He gasped, and then turned to eye the four boys once more. "You want – _slide again?"_

The four vigilantes exchanged amused glances before finally beginning to laugh.

It would seem their adventure was finally coming to an end.

* * *

 _Only the epilogue left!_

 _Just got to edit it and rework it a little and I'll have it up!_

 _Reviews are so helpful in this process. If you could take a second and send me one, no matter how small, it would be lovely :)_


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